The CHMA
The younger Chiang's ideal clinic would provide Taiwanese patients with a plethora of naturopathic treatment options, everything from homeopathy, chiropractic, Chinese and Western herbal medicine, and orthomolecular medicine to even indoor-toxin prevention.
"By running the business and feeling our way a little bit, we gradually hit upon our present treatment model," says Chiang. Because Taiwan doesn't have any placement services for naturopathic practitioners, Chiang searched for clinicians by placing a notice online and directly contacting members of the alumni associations of the US's seven largest schools of naturopathic medicine and practitioners holding either US or European licenses. Unfortunately, the many legal hurdles Taiwan has in place kept interest low. To date, Chiang has found only three doctors willing to return to Taiwan to practice.
"We've been in business for more than seven years," says Chiang. "In that time, most of our patients have been individuals suffering from depression, bipolarity, insomnia, allergies, auto-immune disorders, and other issues that Western medicine has difficulty resolving." The clinic also provides music therapy to hyperactive and autistic patients. However, its most profitable departments are its chiropractic and physical medicine divisions, which together generate about NT$15 million in annual revenues, or about 50% of the clinic's total.
"Because spinal adjustments have rapid and readily apparent effects, they provide a good route to building patient confidence," says Chiang. But spinal adjustments comprise only one small part of naturopathic medicine. Though they help the clinic earn money, Chiang isn't enthused about them.
The TCAMC clinic is facing other difficulties as well. Since its services are not covered by National Health Insurance, its patients' out-of-pocket expenses are five to six times higher than for those receiving treatment from a conventional clinic. In addition, the high turnover rate among doctors unable to adapt to the practice environment in Taiwan has compelled it to train new ones itself. Over the course of three years, it has trained 30 doctors of TCM and Western medicine, while also engaging in educational outreach with the Ren'ai Branch of Taipei City Hospital and other medical institutions. Its establishment of the Chinese Homeopathic Medical Association (CHMA) in February 2009 also marked a major step towards the integration of naturopathic medicine in Taiwan.
"We hope that Taiwan's medical establishment will change its thinking and get with the times so that naturopathic medicine can escape the ghetto to which a lack of official recognition has relegated it and become a branch of mainstream medicine," says Chiang. "The fact that it currently exists in a gray area makes malpractice more frequent." Chiang's dream represents hope for the many patients having difficulty choosing among the many alternative therapies on the market.
Alex Chiang's integrated center for naturopathic medicine makes use of the strengths of multiple treatment modalities and also trains new practitioners.