Prof V.S. Dorodny to re-enter clinical practice

Having dedicated most of my professional activities since 2006 to pursuit of Academic and Research endeavors, I am happy to announce that I will be returning to Clinical Practice before the end of 2008.

A dully licensed California Physician & Surgeon with over 30 years of traditional medical experience, I am also a Naturopathic Doctor with over 10 years of experience of convergent, and, frequently, symbiotic approach to the management of all chronic and multi-systemic disease states.

My areas of expertise encompass traditional medical practice and naturopathy with a focus on nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, physical manipulation, pharmacology and psychology.

Naturopathy is a philosophy which encompasses a view of life, a model for living a full life. The word naturopathy is a Latin-Greek hybrid which can be defined as 'being close to or benefiting from nature.'" - Stewart Mitchell, Naturopathy: Understanding the Healing Power of Nature.

Naturopathic Medicine is the practice of assisting in the health of patients through the application of natural remedies. Most naturopaths consider their care complementary, not supplementary, to the care a traditional medical professional.

However, the field and its practitioners remain mostly unregulated even in a progressive State of California with only few, at least for know, that can formally called themselves Doctors of Naturopathy. (N.D.)

There are tens of thousands of natural bio-active food supplements and preparations that are being marketed to the general public. Clearly, there is an expressed need for an orderly, studied and unbiased assessment of the benefits and risks of this burgeoning marketplace.

The recent (2007) shutdown by the FTC/FDA of the $250-million-a-year liquid vitamin manufacturer SeaSilver sent shock waves through the booming food supplement market.

While there are a number of lessons to be learned by long overdue and clearly warranted enforcement action, the most important message is probably this: A whole lot of people spent a great deal of money on a product which, as far as regulators were concerned, was marketed in wholly inappropriate and perhaps misleading fashion.

When family health and well-being are at stake, we all want the best information available. We all want the correct information.

We want unbiased information. The National Institute of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies that we traditionally rely upon to serve as vanguards of medical authenticity are experiencing funding and manpower shortages, as well as conflicts of interest.

While these agencies are without doubt the most capable sources of evaluating legitimate health-benefit claims, they are buried by the sheer volume of their mandates, and have difficulty coping.

Having served as a Consumer Representative on the FDA’s general Scientific Advisory Board (1998-2002), the need was clear.

In July 2003, the FDA set forth the conditions under which it will exercise enforcement discretion for qualified health claims: "…when it determines, based on the totality of publicly available scientific evidence (including evidence from well-designed studies conducted in a manner which is consistent with generally recognized scientific procedures and principles), that there is significant scientific agreement, among experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate such claims, that the claim is supported by such evidence".

To provide a repository for scientific data about naturopathic supplements that empowers health consumers and providers to make good, safe decisions; and serves as an additional resource for the regulatory community, I founded the Naturopathic Evidence-based Wellness Institute (NEW™) in May of 2003 in Malibu, California.

Finally, the NEW™ Institute provides an authoritative resource for the manufacturers of food supplements to educate their markets about the true benefits of their products through compelling and compliant advertising and marketing.

Over the past 2 years we were inundated by requests for information, consultation and direct care. Responding to the needs of health care consumers I will be announcing the new physical location and contact information in mid-October 2008

Be Well!