IFM Announces COVID-19 Panel at 2020 Annual International Conference

The COVID-19 panel will discuss innovative clinical practices and how to address the new normal.

FEDERAL WAY, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) announced a panel session on COVID-19, Clinical Practice, and the New Normal at the 2020 Annual International Conference (AIC) online experience. The lasting effects of COVID-19 continue to have a ripple effect on everyday life. The individual practice and hospital setting have dramatically changed as masks cover the relaxing, patient smile of the clinician and direct contact in some instances is reduced to a computer screen. As the pandemic ushers in a “new normal,” Functional Medicine clinicians remind us that a lifestyle and nutrition approach to bolstering immune function, in addition to the CDC recommended trio of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing, offers the best protection available during the current pandemic and in the period that will follow.

The COVID-19 panel—taking place on June 13 at 7:45 am PDT and hosted by Patrick Hanaway, MD, Functional Medicine practitioner and senior advisor for IFM—features clinicians on the front lines providing patient care for those seeking either prevention or reduced suffering and improved recovery from the effects of COVID-19. Panelists will share their strategies for using Functional Medicine interventions to care for vulnerable patients as well as inspiring stories about how reconnecting to a greater healthcare purpose can benefit everyone during this difficult time.

Panelists include:

• Georgia Tetlow, MD – Philadelphia Integrative Medicine, Wayne, PA
• Mylène Huynh, MD – Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
• Kara Parker, MD – Whittier Clinic & Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN
• Joel Evans, MD – The Center for Functional Medicine, Stamford, CT
• Host Patrick Hanaway, MD – Family to Family: Your Home for Whole Health Care, Asheville, NC

“As clinicians, we build a partnership with our patients to help them move from illness to wellness, as well as decrease the risk of illness in the first place. The COVID-19 pandemic requires us to find new ways to reach our patients while standing firmly on the building blocks of lifestyle medicine, systems biology, and restoration of function,” said Dr. Patrick Hanaway. “As colleagues, sharing new strategies is critical to the evolution for each of us to serve our patients, our families, and our communities.”

Functional Medicine provides a detailed framework to assist clinicians in managing physiological dysfunction and minimizing factors that increase the risk of mortality from COVID-19 (namely chronic illness, underlying inflammation, and oxidative stress). This approach focuses on strengthening the body’s natural defenses, boosting immunity, identifying areas of imbalance, potentially mitigating the course of an infection, and improving recovery. Personalized lifestyle interventions help patients improve dietary intake, decrease stress, improve sleep, and address social isolation—all critically important factors that affect immune function and overall well-being.

AIC 2020: Advancements in Clinical Research and Innovative Practices in Functional Medicine will take place in an interactive online format June 12-13, 2020. Topics will address areas of health with the greatest influence on immune resilience, aimed at improving the health outcomes of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

About IFM

The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) is the global leader in Functional Medicine and a collaborator in the transformation of health care. IFM is a nonprofit organization that believes Functional Medicine can help every individual reach their full potential for health and well-being. Founded in 1991 and dedicated to the widespread adoption of Functional Medicine, IFM works to advance education and training, clinical patient care, research, and outcomes in Functional Medicine worldwide. To date, IFM has educated over 16,000 practitioners from 70 countries. For more information about IFM, please visit IFM.org.

About Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.