Bastyr Center for Natural Health has provided care to people living with HIV/AIDS for 20 years. We were fortunate to receive federally funded support for this program under the Ryan White CARE Act for many years. In December of 2006, the Ryan White CARE Act was reauthorized by Congress and signed into law by the president. The Act was also renamed the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006.” Changes to the Act under this reauthorization include a redistribution of federal funding. As a result, Bastyr University will not receive federal grant funding for 2007-08 under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. It is possible that we will have an opportunity to reapply in the future.
At Bastyr Center we are committed to our Ryan White clients as patients and will continue to support their care, despite this financial development. Unfortunately, this sudden withdrawal of funding necessitates some changes in the way we administer care. Our most immediate concern is to provide a continuity of complementary and alternative health care to this population. In the months ahead, with the help of generous advocates and donors, we endeavor to find a way to provide discounted or totally subsidized care on a continuing basis. We have contacted all current patients who were eligible for Ryan White CARE Act funds before March 1, 2007
with a letter stating how we plan to offer our services through June 30, 2007. We invite you to download and read this letter (319 KB).
In our Immune Wellness Care shifts, we offer complementary and alternative health care to more than 200 people living with HIV/AIDS. Services include naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, nutrition consultation, physical medicine, and counseling.
HIV+ patients at Bastyr consistently report improved quality of life and greater satisfaction with their overall medical care as a result of their treatment with us. Bastyr services are especially effective in treating side effects and constitutional symptoms, such as:
- Depression and anxiety
- Fatigue
- Neuropathy
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Pain
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Wasting
Clinic visits are usually 60 to 90 minutes in length, and address preventive health care and overall bodily functioning, as well as relief of specific symptoms. Treatment goals are holistic: proper functioning of the immune system, fewer opportunistic infections, improved mental health and fewer side effects from conventional medicines.
To make an appointment on one of our Immune Wellness Shifts, please call 206-834-4100.
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