Dr. Lorraine Caron, ND

03/12/2021

Stay safe out there!

12/18/2020

Know your D level and make sure you’re sufficient!

Patients admitted to hospital with severe COVID-19 and vitamin D deficiency showed a 3.7-fold increased odds of death. Men in the advanced stages of COVID-19 pneumonia had the greatest deficit.

08/19/2020

Congratulations New Mexico NDs!

As of the week of August 17, 2020, New Mexico NDs have been added as an authorized provider type with Medicaid, and they can begin credentialing and contracting with Medicaid and Centennial Care. This makes New Mexico the 5th U.S. state to cover NDs as Medicaid providers.*

The effort to secure Medicaid credentialing was spearheaded by Lilly-Marie Blecher, ND, DOM, Founder & Executive Director of Taos Whole Community Health (pictured). She has been working hard to secure such coverage since the NM bill to license NDs passed in 2019. Regarding the victory, Dr. Blecher stated “My personal life mission is to increase access to the full spectrum of healthcare for all. I believe this will not only allow us to serve our low income community members, it will also open up job opportunities and financial stability in our practices.” She hopes that all NM NDs become Medicaid providers to “increase access to the full spectrum of healthcare for all!”

The NMANP will be sending out an update with instructions for contracting and credentialing as soon as they receive instructions from the NM Human Services Department. For more information, contact the NMANP at nmanp.org@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the NMANP team, especially Dr. Blecher!

*NDs are authorized care providers in Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Arizona (for minors only in AZ). New Mexico Association of Naturopathic Physicians

06/10/2020

Pediatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians - statement on the impact of racism on children and child health.

06/02/2020

Dear NUNM Community,

The recent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the attempted murder of Christian Cooper and the actions of police during the subsequent riots and protests serve as a glaring reminder that our society has long treated the lives and minds of certain communities as lesser than others. This is appalling and egregious, no matter who we are. We live in a world where fear for and disdain of Black bodies is normalized. It is up to all of us to speak up when we witness instances of injustice.

At NUNM we believe that it is important that we dismantle inequities and acknowledge overt and covert inequities. We have given voice to our disparities and have been working diligently to create a campus that considers equity and inclusion as the lens that guides all of our educational and administrative activities.

As members of the healthcare profession, we have a unique responsibility to create this change. Social determinants of health contribute vastly to racial disparities in health care. The most recent evidence of this is in the data that demonstrates the disproportionate disease burden of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous and other communities of color.

At this moment, we must engage each other in dialogue, challenge the status quo of tacit acceptance of violence to Black, Indigenous and People of Color due to white supremacy, use your voice, engage in justice work, show up where you are needed, help raise the next generation to be intolerant of hate, and continue to work for change for full equity and inclusion at NUNM.

We can do better and we will be better.

On Behalf of the President’s Cabinet, the Board of Directors, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion,

Christine L. Girard, ND, MPH

President/CEO

Read the full letter President Christine Girard sent to the NUNM community here: https://nunm.edu/2020/06/president-message/

06/02/2020

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) believes that health and wellness are human rights. We recognize that our country, once again, is facing the reality that these rights have not been extended to all of its citizens, most disproportionately affecting Black people. The AANP supports and stands in solidarity with those who have and continue to raise their voices in the fight for these basic rights. We remain firm in our oath of "First Do No Harm," which includes standing up and speaking out against systemic and institutional racism and the injustice and rampant, persistent discrimination Black people continue to face.

1. We pledge to listen to the voices of those who are marginalized and oppressed.

2. We acknowledge our important role in highlighting and amplifying diverse voices within the profession and we recognize we must do better.

3. We call upon our profession to unite, to support, protect, and provide a platform for all of the Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) members of our community.

In Health,

Rob Kachko, ND, LAc
President, AANP

Safiya McCarter, ND, LAc
Chair, AANP Diversity + Inclusion Committee

05/30/2020

To be silent is to be complicit. As a doctor and a mother, my fury at what was done to this man is unlimited, as is my heartbreak. As a white person, my commitment to be actively anti-racist is the very least I can do.

On George Floyd, and the word “Mama”:

What does it mean that his last words were to call out for his mother?

It means that he was desperate, that he needed her; this is what many of us do with our last breaths, whether we’re soldiers in a civil war, or cancer patients in a hospice. We call for our mothers, who stand for love and care, who stand (emotionally, if not in fact) between us and harm.

It means that THIS WAS SOMEONE'S CHILD. You’ve heard this phrase before; it’s the magic algorithm we use to remind ourselves of another's humanity. Maybe you’re walking by a homeless person and you’re tired and preoccupied and texting, but you tell yourself: wait, remember, this is someone’s child. When you can’t find love in your heart, and this happens to all of us sometimes, because we’re afraid or sad or having a moment of indifference; all you have to do is remind yourself that this is someone’s child.

The parent-child bond is the evolutionary basis of love and compassion. The human impulse to care and protect started with mothers and their offspring, and over thousands of years of evolution, it radiated outward from there. It’s the force that stirs the hardest hearts, it’s what turns us all to quivering jelly, whether we admit it or not. Thousands of years of evolution have made us this way.

“I can’t breathe” has become a rallying cry; and it says it all -- or nearly all. “I can’t breathe” is the shocking brutality, “I can’t breathe” is the knee in the neck. It galvanizes; it will stir a generation to action.

But “Mama” says something else. “Mama” is love and compassion and yearning. “Mama” cuts through fears and biases, guilt and indifference. It softens. It unites.

We didn’t know George Floyd, and we didn’t know his Mama. But we know how he longed for her on Monday night; we’ll feel the same thing one day, whether we exit this world through illness or violence.

And we know how we’d feel if this had happened to our own son.

If George Floyd’s mother were still alive to hear them, no words would ease her pain. But we would try to speak them, anyway; we would do our best to tell her how sorry we are about her son.

05/13/2020

For biochem nerds, an interesting discussion of oral vs. IV vitamin C in COVID-19 treatment.

With proper social distancing, adequate nutrition, sleep, exercise and supplementation with ascorbic acid and melatonin, COVID-19 may become manageable.

05/09/2020

Adrian Gombart of OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute, along with his collaborators at universities across the world, said public health officials should issue a clear set of nutritional guidelines to complement the existing advice about washing hands to prevent the spread of infections.

04/01/2020

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians calls for use of IV vitamin C in frontline COVID-19 treatment.

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) April 01, 2020 -- The Association calls for increased use of this effective and affordable intervention.

03/26/2020

Naturopathic Doctors have always done this. The majority of patient visits in my practice are 45-60 minutes. Patient education is one of our core values.

Node Smith, ND A recent article validates the increase in patient outcomes with longer visits that concentrate on educating patients about their conditions.1 Forty-five (45) minute office visits intended to educate patients on their chronic medical conditions, and to help them gather resources and u...

03/25/2020

Seriously sick coronavirus patients in New York state’s largest hospital system are being given massive doses of vitamin C — based on promising reports that it’s helped people in hard-h…

03/21/2020

PPE collection for frontline healthcare workers. If you’ve got unused masks, gloves, etc. consider donating.

As medical professionals respond to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) public health crisis, PPE supplies are in critical shortage. The requested supplies will help protect healthcare providers so that they can care for patients in need.

Donations can be dropped off at Empower Field at Mile High in Lot J on the north side of the stadium on Sunday. Items will be collected using proper social distancing.

03/16/2020

Flatten the curve!

(This is an update to my post from 5 days ago, which you can find here: drlorrainecaron.com/wpblog/2020/03/10/coronavirus-march-10-2020/ )

03/13/2020

PSD Update

Effective March 13, PSD is temporarily suspending all field trips, events and activities until further notice. All Thursday afternoon and evening events will continue as planned. This decision aligns with the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) March 12 cancelation of spring activities, athletics events and practices through April 6. CHSAA is the governing body over athletics and activities for our students.

Spring break will continue as planned March 16-20. During spring break, the district will remain in close contact with the governor’s office and public health officials. Families should monitor their email and the district website during that time, as PSD will continue to communicate as needed and as information is available.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.psdschools.org/node/1473

03/10/2020

Let's take care of each other. 💚

I have been getting messages from patients concerned about the current coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) who would like me to share my perspective, so here it is. THIS IS NOT INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL ADVICE, just my take on things. If you are my patient, give me a call. And you can find up to date medical i...

02/28/2020

Wash ‘em! Sing the alphabet song while you wash. And use the paper towel to turn off the water and open the door.

02/26/2020

Smart advice