William B. Stewart is the medical director of the Institute for Health & Healing (IHH) at the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). The IHH was founded in 1994 and named recently as the top hospital-based holistic health center on the West Coast. It has been recognized as a national leader in integrative medicine (the bringing together of contemporary Western medicine with more holistic practices) by Natural Health magazine.  As a result,

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School in1968, Dr. Stewart completed his internship at the University ofColorado, followed by a year of general surgery training at theUniversity of California, San Francisco. After his ophthalmologyresidency training at CPMC, he completed fellowships at both theUniversity of London Moorfields Eye Hospital, and the University ofMiami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. In 1977, he joined the Department ofOphthalmology at CPMC as Director of Ophthalmic Plastic, Reconstructiveand Orbital Surgery, and became the department chair in 1996, servingin that capacity until 2000. He is the editor of the acclaimedthree-volume textbook, Surgery of the Eyelid, Orbit and LacrimalSystem. Dr. Stewart has been recognized in the lists, “Best Doctors inAmerica” and “Best Doctors in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
   

Influenced by a lifelong interest in philosophy and medical servicework at the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, in 1989 Dr. Stewartcofounded what is now the Institute for Health & Healing. Today, itis one of the largest, most comprehensive and successful integrativemedicine programs in the country.
   

Dr. Stewart has lectured nationally and internationally from India toIsrael and from Maine to Montana, and is the author of many scientificpublications and commentaries. His vision and work merge the scientificand the sacred, engaging in a deep and broad comprehension of thenature of healing. His book, Deep Medicine, lays out his philosophy onhealth: “Everything we think, feel, or do is either health-creating ornot.”
   

On February 12, Northside San Francisco met with Dr. Stewart, a delightful and thoughtful man, at the IHH.

NORTHSIDE SF: What is the Institute for Health & Healing?

DR. STEWART: The Institute for Health & Healing is an integrativemedicine program at California Pacific Medical Center and at SutterHealth affiliates Marin General Hospital and Mills Peninsula HealthServices, which provides holistic health services in the setting of amajor contemporary medical center.

NORTHSIDE SF:  What services does IHH provide?

DR. STEWART: In the simplest sense, integrative medicine is combininghealth and healing practices from other cultures, countries and timeswith the dominant medical paradigm. This involves an appreciation forand attention to an individual’s mental, emotional, physical,spiritual, and social issues. Therefore, we offer a wide range ofservices across the spectrum of care and the lifespan. Our servicesinclude in-hospital bedside care such as massage, guided imagery,expressive arts, and spiritual care by the hospital chaplains.Outpatient services include a physician-led multidisciplinary clinic,the Healing Store, the self-care/personal wellness program, anextensive curriculum of public classes and educational offerings, aswell as special programs for employee wellness.

NORTHSIDE SF:  What need is the IHH filling at CPMC?

DR. STEWART: The IHH is dedicated to broadening the understanding ofwhat health is and deepening the comprehension of what healing isabout. To me every issue is a health issue. Whether we are talkingabout the symptoms of an illness or about education, poverty, violence,or the state of the environment, we are talking about issues whichimpact our health and well-being. Often our medical issues areobjectified in ways that ignore important aspects of their cause andcare. External signs and symptoms, such as pain, swelling and fever,are usually more readily recognized than such aspects of one’s “innerlandscape” as fears, worries, dreams and desires. In the course of ourservice to patients, their families and caregivers, the IHH seeks toengage those deeper aspects of our being as well as the symptoms andcircumstances which lead people to seek care. In so doing, we embodythe promise that CPMC makes to the community of going “beyondmedicine.” 

NORTHSIDE SF:   Why are hospital chaplains part of the IHH?

DR. STEWART: One of the features that distinguishes the institute fromother programs bringing complementary and integrative medicine to themainstream is that through the IHH integrative medicine and spiritualcare, which includes the hospital chaplains, [is that they] areclinically and administratively partnered. We cannot claim to deal withillness holistically without appreciating and caring for the spiritualaspects of illness.

NORTHSIDE SF: What drew you, with your long experience in surgery, to this area of health care?

DR. STEWART:  Several milestones help explain the evolution of mymedical career. First, I knew I wanted to be a doctor from the time Iwas a young child with a toy stethoscope and a clinic of ailing stuffedanimals, pets or playmates. Second, as a sophomore in high school, Iwrote a paper on Darwin’s theory of evolution and the book of Genesis.So, my having a foot in both the scientific and spiritual camps goesback a long way and might even be genetic. Third, from the first time Ivisited India in 1983 to demonstrate and teach reconstructive surgeryaround the eye at the Aravind Eye Hospitals, my view of medical careand health was altered. There, I was definitely impressed by the volumeand quality of the care being provided in less than ideal conditionsfrom my Western perspective. But I was even more moved and inspired bythe caring, compassion and motivation demonstrated by the hard-workingsurgeons and staff.  These caregivers were clearly energized by aninner calling and purpose which guided their dedicated, meaningfulwork. Witnessing the power that comes from being in touch with one’sinner strength and life’s dream over the years has informed myevolution as a healer and a person and [has] unquestionably guided thedirection of my career.

NORTHSIDE SF: What would you most want our readers to know about their own health creation? 

DR. STEWART: It is vital for everyone to understand the very major rolewhich each person’s lifestyle choices have on their well-being andcapacity to heal. Some things we are dealt and some things we have thecapacity to choose. Each of us inherits a genetic map and is blessedwith a unique family of origin. Each of us has a geographic heritageand exists in a particular environment. Each of us has or lacks accessto medical care. Even considering all those factors, at least 50percent of our state of health is related to our lifestyle choices.Across all disease categories – including heart disease and stroke,diabetes, cancer – such lifestyle variables as smoking, obesity, excessalcohol consumption, sedentary ways, and lack of social supportnetworks are health risk factors. If we can learn to change or replaceour destructive behaviors and habits with constructive ones in thearenas of nutrition, physical activity and stress management, we cansignificantly improve our short- and long-term health outcomes. Ofcourse, this is much easier said than done, for each of us is saddledwith behaviors we would like to change and habits we would like tobreak. The challenge of how to initiate and sustain health-creatingbehaviors is at the heart of our work here at the IHH.

NORTHSIDE SF: Do you practice what you preach?

DR. STEWART: I think that I do practice what I preach. To do that,however, requires an ongoing “negotiation” with myself as I meet withhundreds of decision points every day and have to make health-creatingdecisions again and again. These decisions cannot be based on willpowerand determination alone. They must be connected to my deepest, mostauthentic inner wants and needs. Otherwise my goals and objectives willbe neither reachable or sustainable. With regard to my nutrition, forexample, it is literally a mealtime-to-mealtime ongoing quest forbalance. I strive for balance at every meal. I accept my choices, bothgood and bad, and course correct as necessary without beating up onmyself. Pizza and ice cream on Friday night translates into proteinpowder and salad on Saturday. Inadequate exercise during a busy workweek means ensuring a yoga class and/or bike ride on the weekend and aconscious look at the next week’s calendar to be sure I don’tperpetuate my behavioral imbalances. Am I walking the stairs, can Iwalk between campuses instead of taking the shuttle – along the way Iam regularly checking my “vital signs.” And I don’t mean vital signs inthe purely medical sense of pulse, blood pressure and breathing rate.Rather, I am staying in touch with what I am thinking, feeling anddoing about how I think and feel through my actions. Those questionsare a personal inner GPS, which tells me where I am. When I find that Iam not in good balance mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually,I must be prepared to make course corrections, do something differentand/or get some help.

NORTHSIDE SF:  What is the difference between the Institute for Health & Healing and the Health & Healing Centers?

DR. STEWART: The Institute for Health & Healing is the vision andphilosophical umbrella, which overarches the whole of our mission andwork. The Health & Healing Centers are the physical sites where ourwork is done and our services [are] provided. Our center at 2300California at Webster houses our Health & Healing Clinic, HealingStore, self-care program, the hospital-based spiritual care department,our in-hospital services and educational programs, and our leadershipand administrative teams. The center at 2040 Webster is in the CPMCHealth Sciences Library. There we are contemporizing ourconsumer-oriented library to make it more of a community gatheringplace. We are expanding access to computer-based health search enginesas well as access to current journals, newsletters and healthinformation in an arena that is constantly changing. Staying currentregarding health and medical information is a real challenge. Also atthe center at 2040 is a lovely, new studio to house our growing classesin yoga, tai chi, chi kung, Pilates, Feldenkrais, and mindfulnessmeditation.

NORTHSIDE SF: Is there one thing that you could recommend to ourreaders that you think would significantly improve their quality oflife?

DR. STEWART: There is not one thing. One size does not fit all. And Iam sad to report that the quick fix is essentially an illusion. Each ofus needs to accept the personal responsibility to create our ownpersonal path to health and healing. When we do create our own uniqueplan, invariably it is the plan that works the best. That said, twothings come to mind. First, if you are smoking, make an effort to finda way to quit. Smoking continues to be a costly and deadly health riskfactor. Second, if I must pick one thing for the sake of answering thisquestion, I would suggest physical activity as a pillar of self-care,which has a broad impact on health risk factors, can be fun, and can betailored to your needs and wants. The best exercise, of course, is theone that you actually do! It is well-documented that a nonsedantarylifestyle can improve your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal status,reduce stress and depression, enhance mental alertness, and is anessential component of long-term weight management. All of thosebenefits from something as simple as a walk in nature, an evening ofdancing, working in the garden, a refreshing swim, or a yoga class.

NORTHSIDE SF: I have a friend who is continually going from doctor todoctor with complaints of ill health. They tell her that her medicaltests show that she is perfectly healthy, yet she doesn’t feel healthy.What can the IHH do for her?

DR. STEWART: I think that we have something to offer everyone seekingto enhance their well-being or optimize their healing capacity, as longas they are willing to make a commitment to their health. JudithTolson, director of program and operations at the IHH, has an image ofmultiple circles she likes to use to illustrate what the IHH hasavailable. The circles go from the least intimate, most introductory,to the most intimate most in-depth encounters. At the introductory endof the encounter spectrum, someone could visit our Web site,www.myhealthandhealing.org. From there they might choose a freelecture, such as is available at our annual, free-to-the-public MiniMedical School. This year during four evening talks on Wednesdayevenings in April at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, we areexploring spirituality and healing with a stimulating faculty. Somebodymight choose to visit our Healing Store to check out our high qualitysupplements, CDs, books, etc. Others may be drawn to our center at 2040Webster to learn more about a specific subject or illness or attend aclass. As their interest grows, a visit to a practitioner such as anutritionist, massage therapist, or skin care expert may be ofinterest. Ultimately, an in-depth evaluation by a physician or otherskilled practitioner in our integrative medicine clinic may be desired.Or a consultation with a chaplain may be appropriate. In any case, atany of our sites, whether seeking general information or a one-on-oneconsult in a specific specialized area, each visitor to the IHH will bemet where they are in life by healing people practicing transformativehealth care.

NORTHSIDE SF: Where does the IHH get its funding?

DR. STEWART: Our support is a many legged stool. First, there is atremendous commitment of support from the medical centers where weexist. At CPMC there has been early and ongoing support, which extendsfrom president and CEO, Dr. Martin Brotman, into all levels of medicalcenter governance and staffing. Our generous donors and supportersunder the leadership of the CPMC Foundation are our second leg ofsupport and have been essential to our vision and work since ourinception in the early 90s. The third leg of our stool is the revenuewe generate. Another essential leg of our stool of support comes fromthe community. This is led by our Community Council who annuallyorganizes our gala fund and consciousness raising event, CelebratingScience and Soul. Each year we honor a pioneer in the art, science andsoul of healing and a community volunteer who is a healing force in theBay Area. This year our honorees are Deepak Chopra, and Bob Tomasello.

NORTHSIDE SF: Senator Obama talks a lot about the importance of hope. Does hope play a role in health and healing?

DR. STEWART: I can answer this question in one word and that word isyes. Hope, faith, compassion, love all play significant roles in thehealing processes. While as caregivers we never want to be unrealisticin our recommendations or our advice, at the same time we don’t everwant to take away a person’s hope, even when the possibility of amedical cure is not possible. Healing, in its many forms, be itphysical, mental, emotional, or spiritual is always a possibility, evenat the bedside of the dying.

NORTHSIDE SF: Can you tell us about the future plans of the IHH?

DR. STEWART:  We are dedicated to the complete remodeling of ourphysical space at 2300 California and 2040 Webster so that we have ahealing setting in which to pursue our work. We want to refine ourbusiness model so that it is sustainable and replicable. This willallow further expansion of integrative medicine and holistic healingpractices. The public is seeking a more holistic appreciation of theirhealth needs. People are wanting less invasive procedures andtreatments and less toxic and greener environments. I think that ourability to determine genetic potential for disease and identify othermarkers will continue to become more sophisticated. This will promotethe capacity to define imbalances, abnormalities and illness[es]earlier, allowing us to deal more with the prevention of disease anddeformity, rather than with end-stage disease. I think in the future,we will more fully appreciate the contribution of our inner landscapeon our outer circumstances. In doing so, we will go beyond medicine –or expand what we mean by medicine – in the breadth of our healingpractices and their application to our personal well-being, the publichealth and global healing.

NORTHSIDE SF: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

DR. STEWART:With the present information explosion and the pace andintensity with which people live their lives, it is very challengingthese days to be discerning in our health choices and disciplined inour health practices. The hard part of creating well-being incontemporary times is not about choosing the trendy diet book orexercise fad. Rather, it is about slowing down and quieting down enoughto pay attention so that we can go inward to touch our own innerlandscape, authenticity and wisdom. This requires what yourgrandparents called character. Traits such as honesty, commitment,discipline, flexibility, and patience are essential. The ability to befully present with what you are thinking, feeling, doing, and relatingto is essential. If we are not honestly and frequently in touch withour own inner landscape of meaning, purpose, dreams, and yearnings, ourouter landscape will reflect the disconnect, our health will suffer,and our health-creating activities will be unsustainable.

PHOTOS BY JANE RICHEY