The Wholistic Wellness Network

The health of our nation depends upon it each citizen being informed enough to make "healthy" lifestyle choices and proactive about their health status. "Good health" (essentially defined as balance between body-mind-emotion-spirit) and wellness are the accumulation of healthy choices and appropriate health care.

The mission of the Wholistic Wellness Network is to assist communities, through education, research and outreach, in creating a healthcare system that incorporates the best of all healing traditions into a cooperative system of care that supports the wellness of every individual. As we begin to collectively vision such a new health system and begin living our new role in the plan the new reality will manifest.

To that end, the Wholistic Wellness Network position on health and health care is such that:

1. Every individual has the right to be personally responsible for their lifestyle choices, healthcare choices, and the consequences of those choices.
2. All individuals are encouraged to have a primary medical care provider to assist with preventive care, disease treatment, health optimization and end-of-life care.
3. Every community is responsible for supporting programs to prevent illness, effectively treat disease, optimize health and provide care for their dying.
4. Every health system and/or place of business is responsible for creating work environments that support the health of their employees and the patients/customers/clients served.
5. The federal government is responsible for creating a level playing field for medical and non-medical healing and/or curative care to reach the citizens of this country in a safe and timely manner.

The public is increasingly demanding greater access to CAM, integrative therapies and wellness services. Current research suggests that most, though not all, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies appear to be relatively free from significant health complications. As such, it is the WWN position that:

1. Medical providers are encouraged to become informed about the benefits of CAM practices and establish working relationships with CAM practitioners in their communities.
2. CAM Practitioners who provide therapies for which licensure is available within the State of their residence should be appropriately licensed and adhere to said scope of practice and code of ethics.
3. CAM Practitioners who practice therapies for which there is no licensure in their State of residence should be free to practice those therapies provided they are appropriately credentialed by a nationally accepted credentialing agency if such a program exists for their profession or modality and adhere to a code of ethics.
4. All CAM practitioners are encouraged to:
   
   • Participate in ongoing continuing education each year.
   • Reveal in writing to their patients/clients, the scope of their services, the extent of their education, and their ongoing continuing education.  
   • Be knowledgeable of potential side effects of their therapies and disclose such information to patients/clients in language appropriate form.
   • Request written consent from patient/client’s to communicate with the patient/client’s primary medical care provider when directly addressing any medically diagnosed disease condition.
   • Neither prescribe nor practice any intervention licensed under medical authority.
   • Maintain professional documentation of all sessions.
   • Accept professional liability for their actions.

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