Few places have been more thoroughly infected by the integrative medicine scam than the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF), which has – especially under the leadership of cynical quackery-enthusiast Toby Cosgrove – e.g. promoted integrative oncology; been caught recommending reflexology, “energy healing” (like reiki), and acupuncture for children; been sporting a traditional Chinese medicine clinic run by a naturopath (Galina Roofener); teamed up with Goop to promote myths about heavy metals; and – not the least – opened a new Center for Functional Medicine in 2014 to become “the first academic medical center in the United States to embrace functional medicine”. Functional medicine is, of course, a complete and utter scam, despite the Cleveland Clinic trying mightily and dishonestly to convince you otherwise; thet have even referred to the nonsensical marketing myth that the focus of functional medicine “is more on identifying underlying causes of illness and less on symptom management” – and yes, this is lying: not ‘dubious’ or ‘carelessly phrased’ or ‘inaccurate’ or ‘a mistake’, but baldfaced lying. The center was marketed as a “collaboration between the Clinic and The Institute for Functional Medicine”, i.e. Mark Hyman’s infamous institution.
The architects behind the collaboration was Hyman and his companion from The Institute for Functional Medicine Patrick Hanaway, who was subsequently Medical Director of, then Research Director of and currently (?) Research Collaborator with the center. Hanaway is is an integrative “holistic” practitioner who claims to have treated his own laryngeal cancer with nutrition, shamanic healing, acupuncture, herbs and prayer (as well as, he has to admit, chemotherapy and radiation therapy). Hanaway, although he is an MD, has previously served on the Executive Committee for the American Board of Integrative Medicine and is Past President of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, and he was, for a while, also chief medical officer of Genova Diagnostics, a shady laboratory that offers all sorts of tests of dubious medical value like a saliva adrenal stress profile, comprehensive diagnostic stool analysis, and toxic effects CORE. His own practice, Family to Family: Your Home for Whole Health Care in Asheville, NC, which he runs with his wife Lisa Lichtig – a “family physician, midwife and herbalist” who is “also serving as a traditional healer and ceremonial leader” and an initiated “mara’akame (healer) in the Huichol healing tradition” – is on record offering “holistic newborn and pediatric care” that includes what is ominously characterized as “grounded discussions” on vaccines; and yes, they do promote natural childbirth woo and, yes indeed, homeopathy.
In his position at the Cleveland Clinic, Hanaway would write editorials, often mixing word salads with misrepresenting the evidence base in favor of functional medicine – in response to questions by the AAFP, for instance, Hanaway offered a list of studies with no explanation of how they support the practices of functional medicine (and seriously: Does anyone think that this would have been the response if functional medicine had anything?) – and oversee program development and studies designed to make functional medicine come out in a positive light (e.g. pilot, proof of concept studies). Nevertheless, the Center for Functional Medicine was apparently a striking success, leading the Cleveland Clinic itself to commit to serious further investments. There was, after all, what Hanaway described as an “unbelievable pent up demand for this kind of care”, and what other parameter for success could there be in a medical setting?
Diagnosis: We’re sure he believes he is helping. He’s also very good at what he’s actually doing. His convictions have, in other words, played a significant role in the shittification of medicine in the US.
Hat-tip: Respectful Insolence
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