Illinois Naturopathic Physicians Work to Establish State Licensure

Source: Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians

As health care dominates headlines from Washington, Illinois naturopathic doctors are gathering to discuss the need for the state to establish a license for naturopathic doctors in Illinois.

Illinois lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 1168, sponsored Sen. Iris Martinez (D-20th, Chicago), and House Bill 3645, sponsored by Rep. JoAnn Osmond (R-61st, Antioch), that would license naturopathic doctors in Illinois. Currently, 17 states regulate naturopathic doctors to provide citizens another health care choice. 

The legislation will be a focus during the Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians' first conference beginning Saturday, Nov. 16, at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, which offers naturopathic medicine degree programs accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medicine Education.

Licensing naturopathic doctors would improve: 

• public safety, by establishing defined education and training standards for naturopathic doctors 
• accountability for care and treatment according to standards enforced by professional regulators at the State of Illinois 
• access to primary health care for natural medicine and holistic approaches to health
• In Illinois today, anyone can use the title "naturopathic doctor" and assert that they are qualified to practice naturopathic medicine without consequences, even if a patient suffers harm.

“Without licensure, there is no way for an Illinois citizen to understand who is legitimately qualified to practice naturopathic medicine," said Dr. Eliot Edwards, naturopathic oncology provider at Cancer Treatment Centers of America and president of the Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

Momentum for licensing naturopathic doctors in Illinois is growing because naturopathic medicine focuses on patient-centered natural health care to prevent and manage chronic illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 75 percent of U.S. health care costs are due to preventable chronic diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. 

Naturopathic doctors treat the cause of a chronic illness through natural means. For example, if a patient suffers from high blood pressure, a naturopathic doctor may prescribe evidence-based nutritional supplements, as well as instruct the patient about lifestyle changes, often reducing the need for prescription medication. 

The goal of a naturopathic doctor is always to optimize patient care and to empower patients to positively influence their own health and wellness. However, they are also trained to work in collaboration with medical doctors when a conventional medicine approach is needed, and utilize recent evidence to combine the best of both approaches. 

To learn more about the Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians, visit www.ilanp.org.