Planetree Affiliates Named as Natural Health Magazine's "America's Healthiest Hospitals"

DERBY, CT- Planetree, Inc., the non-profit organization dedicated to demystifying and personalizing healthcare, and the leader in patient-centered care, is proud to announce that three of the five hospitals named by Natural Health Magazine as America's Healthiest Hospitals, have a Planetree affiliation.

Natural Health Magazine has recently named five hospitals in the country as "America's Healthiest Hospitals" in the December 2001 issue, and three of them have an affiliation with Planetree. The hospitals named were cited for offering the best care for your body and soul, and offer natural therapies like acupuncture, guided imagery, and massage as adjunct or stand-alone treatments. To make their list, hospitals had to be full-service, have 100 or more beds, and offer at least 10 alternative therapies. Also considered were the scope of their complementary program (how many patients seen per month) and their level of patient financial assistance.

The highest honors went to one of Planetree's first model sites, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). Planetree was founded over 20 years ago by Angelica Thieriot; an Argentinean appalled by what she felt was cold, impersonal, dehumanizing medical care she received while being hospitalized there for a rare virus. Thieriot began a crusade that resulted in the establishment of the first Planetree patient-centered unit at CPMC in 1985. The Planetree organization, which is dedicated to improving the hospital experience for patients and their families through its' patient centered approach, currently has over 55 U.S. affiliates in the rapidly growing alliance.

Planetree Affiliates Longmont United Hospital in Colorado and Beth Israel Medical Center in New York were also named, as well as Mid-Columbia Medical Center in Oregon as a runner-up with innovations that stood out from the rest.

Longmont treats 660 people monthly with complementary therapies that include the Alexander technique, art therapy, craniosacral therapy, guided imagery, osteopathy, and pet therapy.

Beth Israel Medical Center treats 1,500 people monthly with biofeedback, chiropractic, Feldenkrais, hypnotherapy, massage therapy and Native American medicine.

"Planetree member hospitals have incredible potential to change the way health care is delivered, to provide holistic, personalized service supporting mind, body and spirit. We consider ourselves to be leaders in the field of patient-centered care, which is evident by the recent, remarkable milestones our Affiliates have been honored with," said Susan B. Frampton, PhD, executive director of Planetree. "The significance of incorporating the patient's perspective in all that we do, and of measuring our degree of success at doing so, has become more important than ever before."

For more information about the Planetree organization or to obtain a copy of the video, contact Planetree at (866) 732-1364, or email your address to Planetree.