On April 16, 2020, the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute, in collaboration with Ortho Molecular Products, convened more than 4,600 healthcare practitioners to Simplexity Medicine: Health Care Reimagined. The virtual, live conference was a silver lining amid all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, an opportunity for functional medicine practitioners to connect and learn from a faculty of experts sharing their insight on the virus and its effects. Attendees also learned about ways to transition their practices to a virtual model using the Virtual Practice Pivot Program.
Here are key takeaways from the event, organized by speaker:
Jeffrey Bland, PhD
- With 10 million people in the United States considered immunosuppressed, infectious disease becomes a perpetual challenge. It is not just the virus itself, but also the environment that either resists the virus or allows it to proliferate.
- Immunological reserve creates resilience against a pandemic. Dr. Bland shares his reflections on this topic in this article.
- Dr. Bland theorizes that prevention will be redefined as multicausal and approached from a personalized health perspective.
- The gut microbiome influences the lung microbiome. Diet and gut health are critical for lung health.
- Dr. Bland encouraged attendees, if they were able and wanted to do so, to donate to Feeding America to help serve the millions of Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Bland and his family are making a generous gift in addition to the $5K gift made by Ortho Molecular Products. You can give here.
Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS
- Dr. Vojdani started his presentation with a profound question: “Why do many people get exposed to COVID-19, yet some people don’t get infected, some get a mild infection, and some get a serious infection?”
- Both the external environment, lifestyle, medications, stress and the internal gut flora, inflammation, oxidative stress impact outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
- According to Dr. Vojdani, if there was one test everyone should have right now, it would be for secretory IgA. This test determines immunity to COVID-19 more accurately and reliably than other tests. It is an easy test to run—patients need a stool or saliva sample done at home and mailed in for testing.
- Dr. Vojdani recommended the following for a strong immune system:
Cheng Ruan, MD
- Dr. Ruan’s perspective is that COVID-19 was the straw that broke the camel’s back and revealed the ugly truth about global health care systems.
- He uses telehealth to assess and monitor patients, plus stay connected with them, during COVID-19. This method has helped keep some of his patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms out of the emergency room.
- Complexity is the enemy of progress. Functional medicine practitioners who overcomplicate what they provide or how they stay connected with patients will lose their engagement with them.
- Practitioners can engage with patients and continue building their communities with virtual group visits.
- He recommends The Community Cure for practitioners interested in implementing the Group Visit Model in their practices.
James Maskell
- Now is the time for disintermediation, the opportunity to have a real relationship between doctor and patient
- Practitioners can build resiliency in themselves, their patients and their practices.
- Access the Virtual Practice Pivot Program and Interactive Guide to transform your practice and patient care.
Olivia Morrissey
Olivia is a writer and communications professional in the functional medicine industry.
