Center Aims for Holistic Approach to Healthcare

Dr. Ron Cotterel dreamed about it in medical school: a community of traditional and nonconventional healers who work together to address the well-being of the mind, body and spirit.

More than a decade later, with backing from his medical group and Sutter Health, Cotterel is the director of the new Sutter Center for Integrative Health in Davis. Located at 625 Anderson Road, it opened in February and sees patients 1 ½ days a week.

The center gives Cotterel and 13 alternative healthcare professionals a way to work together for the welfare of their patients. And it gives Sacramento-based Sutter Health an opportunity to respond to growing demand for alternative healthcare with little financial risk.

All services are fee-for-service. No insurance is accepted. In an era where medical costs are rising faster than health plans and the government are paying for them, any services paid by cash are considered lucrative business.

The big questions for the center is whether this policy will turn away patients who want the services but can't afford them. Cotterel charges $200 an hour, other charges vary.

"Fee for service and no insurance accepted is the biggest detriment to building a patient base of alternative health," said Sutter spokeswoman Judi Bump. "But we see demand in Davis."

The center has received a $25,000 grant from the Paulsen Foundation in Woodland that will be used for marketing, education and financial aid for needy patients.

Spiritual, emotional care: The idea is to provide compassionate care that integrates complementary or alternative methods with traditional Western medicine.

"It's something that's not done very well in the healthcare system we have in this country currently," says Cotterel. "The old days of treating a set of symptoms go only so far. When you add a spiritual and emotional component, you can go much farther."

The center is based in an expanded office suite that Cotterel also uses to look after his primary-care patients. Sutter put in some money for renovation and marketing. Cotterel paid for a new sound system and décor that harks back to the '60s.

The music is quietly soothing, but a far cry from Muzak. Wall hangings show a splash of color. Cotterel's office looks onto a Zen-like garden graced by a serene little Buddha.

Cotterel's first evaluation of a patient takes up to two hours, and includes an interview and physical examination. Follow-up visits may be with Cotterel or any of the 13 other practitioners affiliated with the site. The center is open Tuesdays and half days on Wednesdays.

Nontraditional providers in the line-up at the Sutter Center have longed for the opportunity to get referrals from their peers in traditional medicine.

"Gosh, it's about time," said Rich Naval, a chiropractor. "We all have success stories, whether it's in chiropractic, Chinese medicine, homeopathy or acupuncture. We can now work together, not against each other."

Watch an interview with Dr. Cotterel on managing stress!

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