Practice Implementation Training Program to Launch in January 2018, in Partnership Between IFM and the Kalish Institute

FEDERAL WAY, Wash., Oct. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has partnered with the Kalish Institute to deliver the in-depth, online practice implementation course, "My Practice Plan." Launching in January 2018, this 16-week cohort program will support clinicians on the entire spectrum of their Functional Medicine career?whether they are building a practice, growing their practice, or reinventing their business model. Through this strategic partnership, Functional Medicine practitioners are offered extensive instruction and resources to prepare for and overcome challenges in practice management.

My Practice Plan guides clinicians through modules on legal matters, business and financial planning, telemedicine, operations, marketing, and patient communication skills while considering the specific needs of their patients, their practices, and themselves as practitioners. By the end of the course, practitioners will develop a fully operational, personalized business plan as well as the skills to lead an effective clinic. "The creation of a personalized business plan emerges through weekly, practice-specific assignments, peer-based coaching and guidance, and access to legal, financial, insurance, and business growth resources," IFM Director of Medical Education Kristi Hughes, ND, said. Likewise, practitioners will clarify which practice model (fee-for-service, insurance-based, membership/concierge, or hybrid) best suits their practice.

An engaging and interactive experience, My Practice Plan encourages active participation with weekly live webinars and the support of a community of like-minded peers. Case studies of individual doctors designing their own practices are included alongside a series of presentations on relevant practice implementation topics.

My Practice Plan is the result of research uncovered in IFM's 2016 landmark survey, "Functional Medicine Practices: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Trends," which revealed the business and practice efficiency challenges facing Functional Medicine providers. IFM Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors Laurie Hofmann, MPH, said, "Our collaboration with the Kalish Institute meets one of IFM's core strategic objectives: providing practitioners with access to comprehensive and customized practice implementation training. We are excited to support Functional Medicine practitioners in better designing and reinventing their practices for both clinical and economic success."

Founded in 2006, the Kalish Institute is dedicated to empowering the next generation of Functional Medicine practitioners to create high integrity, values-driven practice models. Founder Daniel Kalish stated, "While we teach practical and business-oriented programs, we believe that the elevation of the human spirit can and should be part of the practice of medicine. We see guiding a doctor in the design of their ideal practice model as a component to our larger effort of building physician communities for social change. This supports our mission to help build private practices so doctors can concentrate on their work serving patients."

Learn more about My Practice Plan here.

For more information:
Contact: Leslie Stewart, Kalish Institute
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Lynsey Terrell, MPH, IFM
Email: [email protected]

The Kalish Institute and Institute for Functional Medicine's "My Practice Plan" is an online practice implementation training program for healthcare professionals wishing to build or improve their Functional Medicine practice. For more information, visit www.kalishinstitute.com.

The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) is the global leader in Functional Medicine. The mission of IFM is to serve the highest expression of individual health through the widespread adoption of Functional Medicine as the standard of care. For more information about IFM, please visit www.ifm.org.

Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. It requires a detailed understanding of each patient's genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that data to direct personalized treatment plans that lead to improved patient outcomes.

SOURCE Institute for Functional Medicine