Hartford Business Journal

nearly three years ago, aer a decade at UConn. He's played a key role in building up Hartford HealthCare's integrative department, which he estimates will be 80 percent insurer pay within the next year or two. "at's the trajectory we're working in and towards," he said. Meanwhile, over the past eight years, St. Francis has grown the number of outpatient acupuncture treatments it provides from virtually zero to upwards of 100 a week, according to Mueller. An additional 250-plus inpatients (mainly in oncology, surgery and maternity) receive 15-to-20-minute integrative treatments at no charge, she said. "Integrative medicine has been a part of St. Francis for over a decade at least," she said. "It began because patients asked for it." "We go with what people are looking for," she said. "People wanted acupuncture, so we gave them acupuncture. at's how this place has grown." e center has also started receiving more referrals from St. Francis physicians in recent years, Mueller said. Building referrals Among Mueller's key supporters at St. Francis is the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, which recommends patients try to reduce their stress levels before surgery through the integrative center's offerings. Dr. Steven Schutzer, the Institute's director, calls himself an "active referrer" to Mueller's department. He said he's well aware of holistic treatment critics, but sometimes the medical evidence bar is too high. Surgery patients are oen terrified of going under the knife. Some even beg him to make the decision for them whether or not they should get surgery — something he said he can't do. If a patient is comforted by a massage before surgery, that's enough for him to support it, he said. "Some patients who are high on the anxiety list, if you don't deal with it, it becomes free-floating or uncontrolled and there is no question it can have a major impact on outcomes," Schutzer said. "A little pain to the anxious can get out of control." Continued from previous page (Top photo) A St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center patient receives acupuncture needles in her legs. (Above) An image of a woman receiving reiki treatment, which is a form of holistic healing. P H O T O \ \ C O N T R I B U T E D H P H O T O \ \ K A R E L N O P P E , S H U T T E R S T O C K . C O M Caring for loved ones. Family style. Nationally Acclaimed Skilled Nursing Facility Recipient of a national award for patient and employee satisfaction as well as these prestigious awards: • Short-term rehabilitation & long-term care • Physical, occupational and speech therapy available 7 days a week • Management onsite 7 days a week for admission, discharge, and nancial needs 29 Highland St., West Hartford | 860.236.5623 | www.hugheshealth.com 14 GREATER HARTFORD HEALTH • Fall 2017

• Cover