ICIM President’s Report

ICIM President’s Report

2010 was once again a great year for ICIM. We had 2 successful conferences, including our innovative joint conference with the American Holistic Medical Association in Nashville last March.  Both were well attended and well received. Our website continues to improve and become a wonderful tool for sharing ideas and asking clinical questions for input from our colleagues.  We’ve remained solid financially, despite tough economic times. ! Our Buffalo meeting on “Infections” conference had a unique and powerful line up of speakers that were excellent and provided very useful information.

The upcoming year is exciting to look forward to. In April, we will make history by participating in the FIRST EVER joint meeting of 4 great integrative medical associations: the iMosiac meeting April 6-10, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN.  While attendees will be able to choose to listen to a broad variety of speakers, ICIM’s track will offer lectures unique to our group, such as our Advanced Metals Workshop.  We’ll also have some exclusive events for ICIM members. Check it out at www.imosaicconference.com and SAVE THE DATE!

The Integrative Medicine Consortium (IMC) continues to grow and make progress in helping our member organizations to address challenges facing the IM community. The IMC Board Certification Committee (which I co-chair with Jacob Teitelbaum) is making forward progress in creating a credible certification program for our members. We hope that this will be available in the next 2-3 years!  The IMC also has developed a malpractice/administrative insurance plan through Fairways Insurance (available now in a large number of states) that is not only structured and geared towards therapies we provide in our practices but also build a large base of support for integrative physicians’ legal needs.  Fairways will have a presence at both iMosaic as well as our Fall conference, so be sure to visit their booth and find out why they provide a superior product for integrative physicians.

Also in 2011, we are looking forward to our Dearborn, Michigan meeting (near the Detroit airport for easy travel. Program Chair Malcolm Sickels is developing the theme of “Treating the Impossible: Solutions for Traditionally Hard-To-Treat Illness” and promises to be the kind of unique, practical offering that ICIM is famous for. As the conference site is on the grounds of a world famous museum, we also will have an opportunity to visit the Henry Ford Museum  and Greenfield Village, where Thomas Edison’s workshop has been restored.

Our long range plan is to maintain the unique flavor of ICIM while continuing to strengthen our relationships with other organizations through the IMC.  To further this goal, we held a unique event to strengthen our ICIM community: a retreat in Costa Rica in January 2011 for ICIM members only! Instead of lectures, there was much more time to share clinical pearls and develop relationships in a beautiful yoga retreat setting! Attendees also strengthened relationships while on several exciting excursions.

I am honored to serve as ICIM president for the third year. What a great experience this has been! I am grateful to the members of ICIM for supporting this wonderful organization, especially those of you who have volunteered so much of your time to serve on the board of directors and committees. I so appreciate our great staff, Wendy, Sarah, and Betsy, who have made my job very easy and fun, indeed! No organization can survive and thrive without the dedication of its members and staff.  Thank you all so very much!

Wishing you all health and happiness,

-Robban A. Sica, MD

Dr. Robban A. Sica received her MD from the Medical College of Ohio. Dr Sica has been practicing integrative medicine for over 23 years and founded an integrative multi-specialty private practice of natural and alternative medicine, The Center for the Healing Arts, PC in Orange, CT. Dr. Sica's integrative approach is a successful new model for patients with chronic health conditions as well as those wishing to prevent illness, utilizing natural alternatives to medication. In addition to her practice, Dr. Sica is President of the International College of Integrative Medicine, secretary of the American Association for Health Freedom, and sits on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology.  Her brave battle against Connecticut state officials was successful in protecting freedom of access to chelation therapy in that state. Since then, protecting health freedom has become a passion for Dr. Sica, who has also helped to found the AAHF state chapter, the Connecticut Health Freedom Coalition, to further health freedom efforts at the state and local level.