NCNM Opens Portland's
Largest Natural Health Clinic
This fall, the students and staff of National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM), along with an eager Portland community, attended the grand opening of the College’s new natural health clinic, the largest such facility in Portland, Ore.!
Clinic promotes natural health in the Pacific Northwest
The new clinic represents a major step forward in NCNM’s campus expansion plans. With 18,000 square feet of newly renovated space, the NCNM Clinic consolidates the school’s two teaching clinics into one convenient location — providing a full spectrum of classical Chinese, naturopathic and specialty services, such as integrative oncology care. In addition to 30 patient treatment rooms, the clinic includes hydrotherapy and IV therapy rooms, a group-acupuncture and qigong area, a full-service natural medicine pharmacy and space for community seminar use. Directly behind the clinic, the future Min Zidell Healing Garden is being designed as a teaching botanical herb garden. In keeping with NCNM’s environmental awareness, the property was renovated using a variety of sustainable and green building practices.
NCNM poised to meet growing demand for naturopathic medicine
The opening of the new clinic is well timed: As more and more people turn to natural health solutions, the need for qualified naturopathic medical providers has never been greater. Says NCNM board chair Nancy Garbett, “It [the clinic] propels us into a future where the need to meet health care demand will grow increasingly critical. NCNM is poised to grow exponentially right in the heart of Portland.” The College anticipates approximately 18,000 patient visits in its first year of service.
The new NCNM Clinic also comes on the heels of Senate Bill 327, a piece of legislation that will help Oregon NDs to meet the escalating need for primary naturopathic care. The bill, passed in June 2009 and scheduled to go into effect in January 2010, expands the prescribing authority for Oregon’s licensed NDs. Because naturopathic physicians are trained to treat patients using both synthetically and naturally derived medications, NCNM Clinic doctors will have even more resources at their disposal in the coming year.
May the coming year take you still further on your journey of health and happiness, wisdom and abundance. Here’s to the possibilities of 2010!
Happy New Year to all of our loyal friends and supporters!
Coquina Deger
Managing Editor, AANMC