The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) has elected a new president: Lise Alschuler, ND.1
Also the director of the Naturopathic Medicine at Cancer Treatment
Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Chicago,
Illinois, and the co-author of the recent book Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing
(Celestial Arts Press 2007), Dr. Alschuler is an experienced expert in
the area of integrative modalities in the treatment of cancer.
For a member of AANP to become president, one must first serve on the board for a period of time. This is Dr. Alschuler’s 5th
year on the board and she has served as president elect (a position
that precedes president) for one year (oral communication, February 7,
2008). Although she wasn’t greatly surprised when it was announced on
January 1, 2008, that she would serve as president for the usual
two-year term, she was “greatly honored.” She has several plans for the
advancement of naturopathic profession.
“My big vision for AANP is to help transform healthcare from one
based in disease management to one focused on prevention and promotion
of health and wellness,” said Dr. Alschuler. “The role of the
naturopathic profession, via the AANP, is to embed the practices and
principles of naturopathic medicine into healthcare.”
As president Dr. Alschuler will serve as a liaison between the board
and the staff as well as share the responsibility of AANP spokesperson
with the executive director and other members of the Board. She also
has several plans to implement in this position such as inserting the
language of naturopathic medicine into common usage, and supporting a
public awareness campaign about naturopathic principles and practices,
etc.
“We have recently become a governance board and therefore the
responsibility of the AANP Board is to understand the landscape of
healthcare and appropriately set the strategic goals for our
profession,” said Dr. Alschuler. “Another is to create relationships
with organizations and individuals that are involved in environmental
protection, sustainable healthcare, public health, etc., in order to
better understand the partnerships and unique role that naturopathic
medicine has in promoting and advocating patient-focused,
wellness-oriented healthcare.”
Dr. Alschuler is also a member of the Board of Directors for the
American Board of Naturopathic Oncology and the Oncology Association of
Naturopathic Physicans.1 She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine in 1994 from Bastyr University.
The AANP, a national group of those who work in the naturopathic
medical profession, promotes disease prevention and holistic approaches
to wellness.1 More information about the AANP is available at http://www.naturopathic.org/.
—Kelly E. Saxton
Reference
1American Association of Naturopathic Physicians elects
Dr. Lise Alschuler new president [press release]. New York, NY: AANP;
January 8, 2008. |