Greetings after a long silence... comments on the current pandemic from our executive director

Greetings in these unprecedented times. Firstly, I would like to explain my silence for the past several months. Hoosier Naturopath has been in the midst of a financial as well as leadership crisis for the past many months. We are in need of additional like-minded board members who are totally aligned with our statement of faith and vision so that we are equipped to move forward with our actionable plans.  Though we have not yet emerged from either crisis, I have not been idle. I have been busy behind the scenes; continuing to learn, reaching out with invitations to join with us, broadening existing networks, developing relationships with national leaders in naturopathic medicine (both online and in person, thanks to my sister's generosity in funding trips), strategizing, and most of all praying and studying the Word to make certain our foundation is sure and solid. 

My silence since this crisis began was from prudence. I and the HN board of directors have been praying for clarity - vertically and horizontally speaking. I was waiting for professional direction from our national association (the AANP) and to see what my U.S. and Canadian peers (many in the Seattle area and several who practice overseas) were experiencing in their clinics and their community work, what directives they were receiving from their regulatory bodies, etc. I now have spent hours in our professional Facebook groups and in phone calls and chats, and have attended several webinars (with more on the near horizon) which have offered my profession clear direction that will keep us out of legal trouble, yet allow us to offer assistance in this time of great need. The time is now. I will no longer be sitting on my hands. Carpe diem.

During this crisis, when the medical establishment is in overwhelm with limited tools, the vast majority of sufferers are being told to do "home care"; i.e. isolate yourself, clean everything in sight, and monitor your symptoms.  And I encourage all of you to do just that - you can download a pdf of the Home Care instructions from the Indiana State Dept. of Health (ISDH) here. The rest of us in Indiana are under a stay at home directive.

But home care (in either case) can be so much more than the ISDH offers! On our website, I am/will be posting things you can do at home for yourselves and your families. This is supportive care for staying well, as well as symptomatic care for symptoms you may be suffering.  These are simple but powerful offerings.

Let me be clear: this is neither prevention nor treatment of COVID-19. I am not offering advice nor am I recommending anything - I am educating you - and it is solely up to you to decide for yourself and your family what you choose to do or not do. Medical freedom.

Your body speaks to you by expressing symptoms. The naturopathic physician would say it is wise to listen to your body and to support it in its efforts to deal with its discomfort (translating to your discomfort!) without telling it to "shut up", so to speak, as would be done if you took a strong pharmaceutical drug (even over-the-counter drugs) to suppress the symptom. With supportive care, when the symptom is relieved it is because the cause of that symptom has been successfully dealt with by your body and not because the symptom was artificially and forcefully suppressed.

There is a time for suppression when loss of life is imminent. In our present situation, that time would not normally occur for those under ISDH home care instructions.

If you believe that now is the time to rally all the available medical troops to help in this pandemic situation, please read this official statement by the AANP and contact your legislators immediately. 

https://www.prweb.com/releases/the_american_association_of_naturopathic_physicians_urges_authorities_to_include_and_use_licensed_naturopathic_doctors_in_plans_to_combat_the_novel_coronavirus_pandemic/prweb16999363.htm 

Here is a post I made to comments during Governor Holcomb's Updates on COVID-19 Press Conference yesterday (live on Facebook):

NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS living IN INDIANA but HOLDING LICENSES IN OTHER STATES would be able to assist those under Home Care via Telemedicine. WILL YOU PLEASE LET US HELP?
https://www.prweb.com/.../the_american.../prweb16999363.htm 
--> You could post the same thing, replacing "US" with "THEM" every day that he does these live updates... I included the AANP link I gave you above.

I have posted some Home Care ideas under "Resources"; more are to come. May I suggest you begin with "Belly Breathing"?

Prayers and Blessings in the time of Pandemic,
Gail

Gail Littell, ND, LMT
Executive Director
(812) 755-6179 tel

(855) 883-9831 fax
[email protected]

www.hoosiernaturopath.org
Bringing Naturopathy to rural Hoosiers in service to God, nature, and man.