Lewes doctor earns integrative health certification
A Lewes doctor is the first to receive integrative medicine certification in Delaware.
Dr. Uday Jani, a primary care physician with a private practice at Shore View Medical outside Lewes, completed an integrative health fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
Jani, who is also the director of integrative health at Beebe Medical Center, attended graduation in Arizona last month.
Integrative medicine is healing-oriented, which Jani said means he becomes a partner with his patients to find healthy outcomes for medical conditions. The certification taught him about alternative healing methods that include acupuncture, art therapy, massage and hypnosis.
“Medicine is a disease-oriented profession,” Jani said. “The patient comes in with a problem, and we say here is a pill. I wanted to complete this fellowship to explore ways to look at the whole person.”
Jani chose the Arizona center because it offers a two-year certification with online classes so Jani could continue to see patients here.
He spent three weeks in Arizona during the two-year fellowship to practice hands-on techniques.
“Integrative medicine is a combination – we use conventional medicine where it is needed and add in integrative practices,” Jani said. “I try to find the cause of a problem and help that first.”
Jani said if a patient often complains of stomach discomfort, instead of prescribing a pill to reduce pain, he might investigate the patient's eating habits or emotional health to find another solution. A change in diet, herbs and supplements could offer solutions to ease the pain.
Dr. Andrew Weil founded the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in 2000. The center is the first of its kind to offer certification classes, which are taught in Arizona and broadcast online.
“In my practice I am already implementing these techniques,” Jani said. “With this, I also need to find more time. I need to find ways to balance because it takes time to educate people on ways to use supplements and vitamins.”
Jani said he is accepting patients, but there may be a wait as he works to implement new services.
While he can suggest alternative therapies, in many cases he refers patients to specialists, including Denise Denback, a licensed acupuncturist.
“I feel more confident talking about the benefits of alternative therapies since I completed this fellowship,” Jani said. “I feel at the end of the day, you should make a difference. It is important for the patient and the physician to partner in the plan for good health.”
Jani lives in Lewes with his wife and children.
Shore View Medical is at 28312 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Milton. For more information, call 302-684-0990, or visit Shore View Medical on Facebook.
The principles of integrative medicine
• Patient and practitioner are partners in healing
• All factors that influence health are considered, including mind, spirit, community and the whole body
• Appropriate methods include both conventional and alternative medicine
• Natural and less-invasive interventions should be used when possible
• Good medicine is based on good science and should remain open to new paradigms
• Prevention is paramount
• Practitioners should commit themselves to self-exploration and self-development.
