UPMC Honors Dr. Amy Stine with Holistic Medicine Workshop

The First Annual Amy Stine Workshop on Holistic Medicine, sponsored by The UPMC Shadyside Center for Integrative Medicine, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Department of Family Medicine, and the family of the late Dr. Amy Ruth Stine, was held on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Heberman Conference Center at Shadyside Hospital. This was the first of a planned annual event to discuss topics dear to Amy and her practice.

It was a great loss when Dr. Amy Stine passed away as a result of a rock climbing accident on Oct. 11, 2008. Amy was loved and admired by many, especially her patients and colleagues. She not only elegantly combined the strengths of conventional and holistic medicine, but she expressed great care and compassion for her patients. Her husband Bill said it best, “She made people feel better and when you feel better, are you are better”.

Amy emphasized the basics—diet, exercise, and emotional health and support. Many commented on how she really listened, she had patience and stuck with you until you felt better. When asked, Bill stated that Amy would say, “I’d like to be known as a healer.” Her secret was the ability to get people to participate in their own healthcare. She believed in giving each individual the power, through knowledge, to put their health and wellbeing back into their own hands. Then, empowered with the secret to vibrant health and longevity, their day-to-day wellness became easier.

The program was coordinated with grace and efficiency by Jeanette Adams, Director for UPMC Center for Integrative Medicine, along with a staff of assistants and volunteers. It provided an opportunity for both health practitioners and lay people to hear several fascinating talks on integrating conventional and holistic medicine.

As a Holistic Practitioner, I was inspired to hear these concepts expressed by such an articulate group of medical doctors. The talks that struck a chord with me were a talk by Dr. Judith Balk of Magee Woman’s Hospital Midlife Health Center, who gave a clear yet scientific presentation balancing the myths and truths of various approaches to hormone replacement therapy, and by Dr. David Goldstein and Dr. Mehernosh Kahn, who focused on how food and nutrients heal the body. Goldstein and Kahn were particularly entertaining; Kahn’s look at the food industry was hilarious as he explored the food choices we make. When we can laugh at ourselves, true healing can begin to occur.

A keynote talk by Dr. Wayne B. Jonas on creating an Optimal Healing Environment comprehensively explored the entire topic of integrative medicine. Jonas is the President and CEO of Samueli Institute in Alexandria, VA, a non-profit holistic health education and research institute. When stationed in Germany, he was astounded by the positive results of homeopathic medicine, and became aware of new concepts of true healing. He defines healing as the recovery, repair, nurturing and a return to wholeness. He studies how to create a true optimal healing environment “like the one Amy created in her practice.” He asked the audience to imagine a healthcare system where healing occurred right along with medical care. “We would have a wonderful treatment system, attending to a person’s inner environment as well as the outer environment.” He showed photos of aesthically pleasing healing rooms and spoke of having sunlit rooms with music playing. “Studies show that when you create a healing culture, people get better and that creating an atmosphere of trust is critically important.”

Clearly that is the atmosphere that the UPMC Shadyside Center for Integrated Medicine is seeking to create. As they can more successfully marry the benefits of conventional medicine with natural and holistic practices, true health and healing is more easily accomplished for all who participate. Pittsburgh is clearly poised to maintain its position as not only a leading medical center, but a healing one as well.