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The websites listed below will assist you in many ways. There are those that will help you keep a patient profile, those that list symptoms in order to find a corresponding physical condition, and sites that will help you understand the medicines you are taking and with the side effects of these drugs. Also listed below are sites for End of Life Care and Community Services for Assisted Living.

The more you know, the better off you are in handling your health care matters.

It's a partnership, and it's your health!

Americas Health Insurance Plans, brings you a single destination offering up to the minute news and key resources for healthcare and insurance companies, agents, brokers and consumers alike. AHIP created HealthDecisions.org as a next-generation communications tool to help industry professionals learn about a wide range of health insurance products and stay abreast of developments in the health care and insurance arenas. Sites specifically dedicated to Dental, Disability, LTC, Health Insurance, HSA, Medicare, Medicaid, Medigap, Supplemental, Stop Loss & Reinsurance, Agent & Broker, Small Business, Health IT. Save time and stay current on items of interest to you, pulled from constantly updated, award-winning content.

WebMD - Extensive and interactive website. Offers Top 12 Health Topics, the latest headlines, expert's views, free newsletters, diseases and conditions, a place to check your symptoms, an insurance guide, and a place to check Medicare benefits.

Medscape - Connected with WebMD, this site is extensive as well, and has links for common diseases and a patient education site.

Mayo Clinic - Extensive and interactive site. A place to research diseases and conditions, drugs and supplements, treatment decisions, ask a specialist, healthy living, health tools. symptom checker, first aid guide and more. There are interactive Health tools and videos, as well as ask a specialist.

Together with leading health care partners, Medem has established the premier physician-patient communications network, designed to facilitate online access to information and care for more than 90,000 physicians, their practices and their patients, while saving patients time and money and helping physicians generate revenue. Patients can create an iHealthRecord, sign up for education programs, have an online consultation, find a physician, or check the Medem award-winning Medical Library. Medem's Medical Library represents the full range of patient education information from partner medical societies and other trusted sources, and is unsurpassed in quality, breadth and depth of health care information. Selected one of the top ten most useful websites by the Medical Library Association, the Medical Library provides patients with reliable health care information from introductory to advanced texts.
 

For a non-U.S.-centric perspective, try BBC Health. Help and advice, Ask the doctor, Awareness campaigns, Sexual health, Talking to your doctor, Healthy living, Nutrition, Fitness, Health at work, Complementary medicine, Travel health, Women's health, Men's health, Health over 50, Health calculators, Online courses, Quizzes, and a whole page on parenting and emotional health. Interactive.

The Diabetes Organization all about diabetes, nutrition and recipes, weight loss, preventions, exercise, research community programs, resources, message boards and a diabetes dictionary.

Hardin MD., University of Iowa AIDS, Cancer, Children's Diseases, Digestive System, Ear, Nose, Throat, Flu: Bird Flu, Heart Disease, Herpes Infections, Infectious Diseases, Nervous System, Respiratory System, STD's, Skeletal System, Skin Diseases, Women's Health, and  all subjects listed alphabetically.

Health Finder offers a Health Library of reliable health information hand-picked from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities. Browse through the alphabetical list of topics. Frequently Asked Questions, Prevention & Wellness, Diseases & Conditions, Alternative Medicine, Online Checkups, Featured Topics, Guide to Diseases, Conditions, & Injuries, Guide to Diagnostic & Surgical Procedures, Journals, Medical Dictionaries, Prescription Drug Information, and Public Libraries. Also available in Spanish.

NIH, The National Institutes of Health, is the nation's medical research agency and a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Helping to lead the way toward important medical discoveries that improve people’s health and save lives, NIH scientists investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases. Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world. NIH distributes 80% of its funding in research grants to all 50 states, its territories, and several foreign countries.

Sanoviv Medical Institute  A leading edge medical facility located on the Baja Coast of Mexico, approximately one hour from San Diego, Sanoviv is a one-of-a-kind holistic hospital that blends state of the art 21st century medicine with an upscale luxury atmosphere. At the core of the Sanoviv philosophy is the belief that the body has the power to heal itself when provided with the proper environment and is relieved of its accumulated toxic burden. Challenging conventional medicine while respecting science and the wisdom of the human body, Sanoviv has redefined alternative health. Toll free numbers both local and international. Be sure to check out the testimonials. Highly Recommended.

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians  Naturopathic physicians are trained in the art and science of natural healthcare at accredited medical colleges. Integrative partnerships between conventional medical doctors and licensed NDs are becoming more available. This cooperation makes more effective therapies available to consumers. It increases patient satisfaction in their relationships with their care providers. More people are recovering their health by adding naturopathic medicine to their health care options. Naturopathic physicians are guided in their treatment decisions by the idea that it is the nature of all things to return to balance; it is the nature of organisms- plants, animals, people- to heal. The naturopathic physician understands illness as a series of events that can be changed, or redirected toward order and balance, with help.

Bionutrition  Ray D. Strand, M. D. — Specialist in Nutritional Medicine is quickly becoming one of the world’s leading authorities in Nutritional Medicine. Dr. Strand is an international speaker, and consultant on health and preventive medicine. People of all ages are becoming more proactive about their health with renewed realization that it is much easier to protect one’s health than trying to regain it after it’s been lost. As traditional medicine becomes more and more impersonalized under bottom-line pressure, consumers must seek out resources that will inform and equip them for their own health and as caregivers. Says Dr. Stephen E. Straus, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health, "People want partnerships with open-minded doctors" who are willing to learn more about complementary therapies. Excellent website.

Dr. Jolie Bookspan  A sports medicine specialist and successful karate competitor, Dr. Jolie's methods and pain reduction techniques are so successful, they are used by top military, orthopedic centers, and athletic training centers around the world. Her site gives helpful information on pain rehab, how to avoid joint pain, back and neck pain, books, classes, patient success stories and more. Dr. Jolie, The Fitness Fixer now has a blog in which she describes how you can fix your own back pain. Definitely worth your time to read. Will save you pain and money in the long run!

The official website of John R. Lee, M.D. is your information source for Natural Hormone Balance and Natural HRT. Books, newsletters, hormone testing kits, charts to keep track of symptoms. All the information that women and men need to keep their lives in hormonal balance, naturally. Highly recommended.

For many of you, Bernie Siegel needs no introduction. He's the man who, more than 17 years ago, began talking about patient empowerment and the choice to live fully and die in peace. Dr. Siegel embraces a philosophy of living - and dying - that stands at the forefront of the medical ethics issues our society grapples with today. Some of his best sellers are Love, Medicine and Miracles, Peace Love and Healing and How to Live Between Office Visits: A Guide to Life, Love and Health. His site provides tools, information and resources based upon the science of mind-body-spirit medicine for the challenges of all chronic illnesses. Choose from retreats, professional seminars, resources, patient programs, wellness links, books, tapes videos, or discussion forums.

EMD, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, works with the neurobiological connections to healing helping those with phobias, panic disorders, trauma recovery and victims of terror, wars and disasters. Considered one of the "power therapies" in somatic psychology being used today. Be sure to read the Professional Statements and the FAQ's' for more information. EMDR was placed in the "A" category as “strongly recommended” for the treatment of trauma.

Preventive Medicine Research Institute PMRI is a pioneering clinical research organization dedicated to conducting trials that examine the effects of lifestyle choices on disease. Founder and President, Dr. Dean Ornish and his colleagues have gained a deep understanding of the powerful healing that can occur with changes in diet and lifestyle. The comprehensive lifestyle modification program provides a spectrum of choice in nutrition, managing stress, exercise and social support.

Bumrungrad Hospital  Located in Bangkok, Thailand, this internationally accredited hospital currently serves almost a million patients a year from over 100 countries. Find a doctor, make an appointment, check out pricing and medical packages offered. Information available online in 14 languages.

Bangkok Dental Spa   Located in Bangkok, Thailand, this is Asia's first dental spa. Offering high technology of dentistry along with contemporary spa ambience, this clinic specializes in cosmetic dentistry, laser tooth whitening, dental implants, crown and bridges, bone grafts, and offers general dentistry as well. Sounds of trickling water and light music accompany 9 dentists and 1 massage therapist. Information available online in English, German and Dutch.

Grace Dental Care Clinic Located in Chiang Mai, Thailand Tel: (66) 053-894 568 - 69, Fax: (66) 053-894 570, Office Hours :Mon - Sat 9.00 A.M. - 8.30 P.M. , Sun 9.00 A.M. - 5.00 P.M. Email: gracedental@thailandclinics.com Has 18 specialists and a well qualified staff who can communicate in English and other foreign languages such as German, Mandarin and Japanese (with translator). Up-to-date technology available and high standard of sterilization. The clinic is set in pleasant grounds , providing a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Dental implants, teeth whitening, crown, bridge, dentures, inlays / onlays, oral surgeon available, radiologist available, gum treatment, root canal treatment, Orthodontics (braces). Offices available in Bangkok, Ko Samui, Pattaya and Phuket as well.

The Medicare Hospice Benefit  Maintained by Medicare Rights Center, this site explains the Medicare hospice benefit for the four levels of care provided, and how to determine if you are eligible. Information addresses what the Hospice Benefit covers, care and its costs, benefit periods, how to obtain the Medicare Hospice Benefit and more.

Breadth of Life A personal story of Betty Breadth's dying time. Photo essay by George Sakkestad, text by Kelly Luker. Outstanding photos, an intensely intimate journey. Betty Breadth invited Kelly and George into her and her family's world to document what became 11 months of remarkable beauty and grief, grace and anguish, honesty and joy. She died at the age of 69 on March 22, 1999.  With thanks to Buz Bezore, from the October 27-November 3, 1999 issue of Metro Santa Cruz.

Spiritual Care Program There is a recognized need in our society today for the development of more effective ways of meeting the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of people who are facing death or a serious illness. Despite dramatic advances in medical technology, it is clear that fundamental questions remain at the boundary of life and death that are not subject to technical or scientific solutions. Sogyal Rinpoche responded to the widely recognized need for more effective ways of meeting the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of people facing death and serious illness by founding the Spiritual Care Program in 1993, after the publication of his book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Christine Longaker, who had worked as a hospice director in California for several years, led the program's development.

Burial at Sea  Service  Lighthall Charters offers dignified sea services for those choosing the sea as their their final resting place. Services performed with honor and respect in the Monterey Bay off the coast of Santa Cruz. They may be attended or unattended. Captains are licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and all boats are U.S.C.G. safety certified and commercially insured. Lighthall Yacht Charters guarantees you a professional, affordable memorial service for your loved one.