Leslie Mendoza Temple, Medical Director, Integrative Medicine Program

2/11/2008 - NorthShore University HealthSystem’s (ENH) Integrative Medicine Program, which opened its doors in 1999, is now operating at near full capacity, and Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD, Medical Director of the program, believes that many more patients will continue to benefit from its wide range of services. “I haven’t encountered many conditions that integrative medicine therapies cannot alleviate in some way,” said Dr. Mendoza Temple.

Dr. Mendoza Temple and her team operate within an environment in which both practitioner and patient are engaged in the patient’s healing process and lifelong learning. The program serves as a new model for addressing healthcare in the United States. Indeed, the NorthShore University HealthSystem program represents a national model of excellence in an environment where similar programs have struggled for survival, or have completely shut down.

After completing her Family Medicine Residency at NorthShore University HealthSystem, Dr. Mendoza Temple completed a 2-year dual fellowship in Academic Faculty Development in Family Medicine while studying at the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine. The first of its kind in the U.S., the fellowship program is directed by Andrew Weil, MD, internationally recognized as a pioneer in integrative medicine.

Dr. Mendoza Temple explained, “Integrative medicine emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient and makes use of evidence-based therapies—whether from the Western allopathic realm or traditional Oriental medicine.” Oriental medicine is a 3,000-year-old system of healthcare and the third most utilized type of medicine in the world.

Dr. Mendoza Temple has seen an increasing number of referrals from primary care physicians and specialists. “I am pleased with the growing physician awareness of how integrative medicine can provide new ways to help patients,” she said. “Increasingly, patients can talk with their healthcare providers about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies and whether or not these offerings should be considered as a component of their treatment plans.”

Those who have had no prior experience with CAM therapies may wonder how integrative medicine can fit into their healthcare plans. Dr. Mendoza Temple said that many conventional therapies may be combined with CAM therapies, as long as there is proper medical supervision. For example, many cancer patients receive acupuncture during and after their treatment regimens to help reduce nausea, fatigue, and pain. People with health issues as diverse as insomnia, gastrointestinal dysfunction, or chronic migraines may find relief and pain control with the program’s acupuncture, bodywork, stress reduction, and nutrition counseling therapies.

Linda Basili was diagnosed with head and neck cancer one and a half years ago. Prior to her combination treatment of chemotherapy and radiation, she sought alternative therapy of acupuncture and craniosacral therapy through Integrative Medicine. She says, “I really believe the reason I’ve come through my radiation and chemo treatment with very little side effects is because of Integrative Medicine. Quite honestly, their therapy has kept my body in balance during very aggressive cancer treatments. I think all cancer patients should seek the guidance of integrative medicine while also working with their oncologist. The two go hand in hand.”

The NorthShore University HealthSystem Integrative Medicine Program’s staff currently includes a nurse, licensed practitioners of traditional Oriental medicine, licensed integrative bodyworkers, medical exercise therapists, a nutrition counselor, herbalists, and a yoga/ meditation instructor.

Dr. Mendoza Temple is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Northwestern University Medical School. She participates in clinical studies with the NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute’s Center for Outcomes Research (CORE). Her expertise is also reflected in her contributions to textbooks and journals in the fields of Family and Integrative Medicines.

Healthcare services, plus a variety of classes, are provided at the NorthShore University HealthSystem Integrative Medicine Program clinic located at the Park Center, 2400 Chestnut, Glenview; 847.657.3540.