Vegan Medical Center Officially Opens in the United States!

by LenaT on January 9, 2016

For those based in Washington, DC, 2016 has included a new plant-based medical center, founded by Neal Barnard, MD.

The Barnard Medical Center opened just last week and is one of the first centers in the United States that will focus on treating illnesses and chronic conditions with preventative medicine and nutrition. The clinic employs physicians, nurses, and dietitians for a different approach to conditions that are preventable.

Neal Barnard, a long-time vegan, is best known as the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and elaborated on the intentions behind the new clinic:

"When I was in medical school, we imagined that diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension were typically caused by genes or even by chance, and we thought we had very little control over these processes. That has all changed. A healthy diet—a plant-based diet—dramatically reduces the risk that these conditions will occur and can greatly improve them after they’ve struck."

The center aims to see about 4000 patients a year and will offer more resources than typically found in clinics. A staff doctor, Steve Neabore, stated:

“We’ll offer additional resources—including cooking and nutrition courses, visits with our dietitians, and in some cases support groups—for weight loss, heart health, type 2 diabetes, and migraines and arthritis. For any condition which is known to respond well to dietary intervention, we will offer support and education for those patients.”

While the center does prescribe medicine, the focus is on nutrition and diet. Located at 5100 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 400, the motive is to: “guide the way toward better health by using nutrition and medicine in one prescription for complete primary care.”

Photo Credit: http://interactive.wxxi.org/