Course Descriptions 
PANGEA 2008: SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
Friday, November 14
Keynote Address I:
Indigenous Practices in the Context of Integrative Care
(Balick, Lee)
Dr. Balick and Dr. Lee will share an understanding of the nature and importance of traditional medical systems around the world. They will illustrate the application of some of the traditional ethnomedical modalities in modern integrative practice, and will highlight botanicals of value in pediatric care. Dr. Balick and Dr. Lee will also share some of the scientific studies that have been carried out on these botanical species.
The Environment: Greening Children's Health
(Kreisberg, Imus)
A candid discussion about the impact of the environment on children's health and the impact of healthcare on the environment, led by Dr. Joel Kreisberg of the Teleosis Institute and Deirdre Imus of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center.
Hospitals that Heal: An Emerging Trend?
(Culbert, Mariano)
Hospitals have long been viewed as places where the sickest go for acute care. Dr. Timothy Culbert, Medical Director of the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics Integrative Medicine program and Carla Mariano, Associate Professor in the Advanced Adult Holistic Nurse Practitioner Program at NYU, will explore the changing trend towards developing hospitals that function as healing spaces.
Prenatal Care: Creating Health for Life
(Romm, Wilson)
Aviva Jill Romm, noted author, herbalist, and midwife and Donielle Wilson, President of the NY Association for Naturopathic Physicians, will facilitate a session about the crucial role of prenatal wellness in promoting infant and child health.
IPC Leadership Award Presentation/Address
Witness a ground-breaking awards presentation as we honor Dr. Kathi Kemper with the inaugural IPC Leadership Award.
The Medical Home: Partnering with Parents
(Lewis, Rosen)
Join author and advocate Sheldon Lewis and Dr. Lawrence Rosen, Chair of the Integrative Pediatrics Council and founder of the Whole Child Center, for dialogue about how parents and practitioners can partner to best care for their children and families.
Lab Session: Diagnostic Tools To Support Health
(Hanaway)
Dr. Patrick Hanaway will lead a critical discussion of state-of-the art lab tools for practitioners interested in functional medicine approaches to children’s health.
Sick Schools: Promoting Healthier School Environments
(Sadiq, Rubin, Potter, Dumais)
Our children spend a significant portion of their day in school. How do we best work together to support healthy nutrition and emotional health practices in our communities? These leaders will discuss their personal challenges and triumphs.
Vaccine Research: An Open Dialogue
(Kligler, Becker)
No issue is more topical or controversial in children’s health care at the present moment. Two of the country’s top primary care integrative physicians will moderate a lively debate about the current state of immunization research and practice.
Current and Critical CAM Research
(Gardiner, Weber, Vohra, Kemper)
How do we evaluate CAM therapies for safe and effective integration in pediatric care? State-of-art findings will be presented by researchers and moderated by four leading academic pediatric integrative medicine faculty.
Training Future Practitioners
(Low Dog)
Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, integrative medicine pioneer and Director of the Program in Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona, will moderate a discussion about how best to train future pediatric integrative medicine practitioners.
Keynote Address II:
Autism: Brain, Body and Planet Systems in Common Crisis
(Herbert)
Dr. Herbert will present the systemic nature of brain processing and brain tissue abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders. She will describe the range of medical illnesses that commonly accompany autism, their systemic features, and how they may be related to brain features. A range of environmental factors may lead to brain and body features identified in autism spectrum, and Dr. Herbert will speak about the potential for medical intervention. In light of recent findings on autism, personal, social and planetary responsibilities are required to address this crisis situation.
Saturday, November 15
Keynote Address III:
The Ecology of the Child: A Post-Modern View of Pediatric Mental Health
(Shannon)
In this wide-ranging examination of modern pediatric mental health, Dr. Scott Shannon challenges most of the fundamental assumptions of our current system and offers a new vision. After a quick recap of the neuroscience of the child’s brain, Dr. Shannon will highlight the concerns with both the reliability and the validity of our diagnostic system. The rapidly escalating use of psychiatric medications is contrasted with the current level of evidence for efficacy and safety for these tools. Dr. Shannon sees many facets of the child’s environment (i.e. reduced sleep, pressured school, disconnected family life, escalating obesity, depressed mothers, intrusive media, poor nutrition) as triggers for rising psychiatric symptoms. He explains why we must embrace an ecological view of children’s mental health. From this ecological foundation, clear directives for helping our children flow.
Nutrition: Food as Medicine
(Kligler, Antine)
Addressing the unique nutritional needs of children from infancy through adolescence is one of the foundations of children’s health promotion. This session will explore common-sense and innovative approaches to help ensure that children in our care will be well-nourished and healthier. This session will cover children’s dietary and nutritional needs throughout their development, the healing power of food, and illness prevention.
Botanicals: New Perspectives on Herbals for Kids
(Low Dog, Gardiner)
Drs. Tieraona Low Dog and Paula Gardiner, authorities on the clinical applications of botanical medicine for children, will discuss the safety and efficacy of commonly used botanicals for a variety of pediatric health conditions.
Promoting Emotional Wellness
(Kemper, Shannon)
Integrative pediatrics pioneer Dr. Kathi Kemper and psychiatrist Scott Shannon will explore an emerging integrative paradigm to emotional wellness, addressing the whole child—mind, body, and spirit—and including nutritional, social, environmental, and behavioral factors.
Chocolate! History, Chemical Makeup and Modern Ingredient Additions which Affect its Healthful Qualities
(Sciscenti)
This colorful presentation will feature New Mexican chocolate expert, historian, and herbalist Mark J. Sciscenti, who will discuss the medicinal qualities of chocolate.
Natural First Aid Kit
(Riley, Hedayat, Romm, Wilson)
Working with families to manage acute injuries and illness, the integrative health care practitioner can advise them regarding natural remedies to have on hand as well as when and how to use them. This session, moderated by integrative medicine expert Dr. David S. Riley, will cover remedies from homeopathy, botanical medicine, aromatherapy, and the kitchen cabinet.
Lifestyle Medicine: Addressing the Obesity Epidemic
(Breuner, Kofitsas)
Dr. Cora Collette Breuner, an expert in adolescent medicine and pediatrics, ad health and fitness coach Peter Kofitsas (Peter K) will share their passion and wisdom to address the rising epidemic of obesity and other eating disorders among children and teens.
Creativity: Expressive Therapies for Children
(Tortora, Bager)
Creative enrichment can benefit the wellness and development of all children. Come to be inspired and uplifted in this session led by dance/movement therapy pioneer Dr. Suzi Tortora and Anna Villa Bager, a founder of Marble Jam Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing art, music, and creative movement therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Practitioner Panel – Working Together
(Hewitt, Baral, Beider, Carine, Cowan, Miles)
How can integrative health care practitioners with diverse training and backgrounds best work together? This panel consisting of a chiropractor, a naturopath, a physician trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, an osteopathic physician, and a Reiki master and integrative health consultant will answer this question from a broad range of perspectives. Topics to be covered include: treatment approaches and philosophy, when to refer to one another, and collaborating with other practitioners on patient care.
Advocacy: Putting Children First
(Rosen, Getz)
Join IPC Chair Dr. Lawrence Rosen and child health advocate Lynn Getz in a town-meeting format for all conference attendees, aimed at building a coalition among practitioners and advocates for children’s wellness. We will address public policy issues facing families, health care professionals, and society at large.
Keynote IV:
The Greening of Medicine
(Low Dog)
There is a renewed “green” consciousness within medicine, especially in pediatrics, as children suffer the highest impact from unhealthy environments. While herbal medicine certainly plays a role in pediatrics medicine, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog will address the inter-connectedness of human beings with each other and the natural world, and how illness occurs when this harmony is disrupted.
