Meet the Doctor: Conrad Maulfair, DO, DPL

A Visit to Topton, PA
by Wendy Chappell

Last week I drove through the hills of rural Pennsylvania, past gorgeous old stone houses, ravines, and clusters of antique shops to visit the Maulfair Medical Center in Topton, PA. I had heard about Dr. Conrad Maulfair's extensive sauna detoxification program at his presentation at the International College of Integrative Medicine meeting in Chicago last winter and I was excited to see the facility as well as attend a workshop entitled "Toxins Impact Your Health" presented by Dr. Maulfair's wife and office manager Colleen.

As I traveled closer to my destination I noticed several bus-stop billboards for the Maulfair clinic which helped greatly in pointing the direction. Like many doctors practicing integrative medicine, Dr. Maulfair's patients come from many miles around, and most follow a path like I did from a nearby city. Though some local people do get medical care from the center, the billboards were a great idea to guide visitors to their destination. Both Colleen and Conrad give a series of free seminars as a way to attract and educate the public about issues of integrative healthcare.

With education being such a focus of his medical practice, Dr. Maulfair was delighted to find a site for his clinic that included a small auditorium, perfect for seminars and classes of all kinds. The site of the Maulfair Medical Center was once the corporate headquarters for an appliance manufacturer. Included in the building was a complete test-kitchen/restaurant facility ready to go and fully equipped. Though they currently are not using the restaurant, the Maulfairs dream of someday incorporating a cafe where patients can get healthy food and snacks during their stay.

The Maulfair Medical Center employs nine staff members and includes an infusion center with thirty-three chairs for Chelation and other nutritional IVs, a full service sauna detoxification area with locker rooms and exercise equipment, staff offices and a family practice area. It is beautifully decorated with a warm, homey feel, featuring Conrad's collection of folk art and Pennsylvania Dutch frakturs. At one time it included a small health food store on the premises.

Sauna Detoxification based on Ron Hubbard's book Clear Body, Clear Mind is a Maulfair specialty. During a detoxification program, the patient comes daily for exercise and hours of dry sauna, encouraging maximum toxin release with the help of nutritional supplements. As the toxins are released, patients sometimes experience strange scents, colors and marks being extracted from their skin. There is even a display (fondly referred to as "the Museum") of some of the amazing detox displays the clinic has encountered, including shorts stained blue with sweat, and photos of old burn marks from hair products or sunburns that appear on the skin as it is sweating. This program is very effective and the Maulfairs have pages upon pages of testimonials from grateful patients who have seen great improvement to their mental and physical health.

Touring the Maulfair Medical Center was inspiring for me. It is so hopeful to think of all the people who are being helped in this clinic and similar medical practices utilizing the science of integrative medicine.