Our mind-body medicine program fully integrated into Ministry of Health community centers and available nationwide to over 2 million people
Program founded: 1998
From the first full-scale training program held in Macedonia for refugee Kosovar physicians in 1999, the program has evolved into a locally supported and sustained component of the nationwide Community Mental Health system.
Program Director: James S. Gordon, MD
Clinical Director: Amy Shinal, LCSW
Program Manager: Lee-Ann Gallarano
In-Country Directors: Afrim Blyta, MD, PhD & Jusuf Ulaj, MD
In-Country Faculty: 10 (MD, MA, PhD)
Where we work: Pristina, Mitrovica, Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Gjilan and Ferizaj
Dates & location training programs have been held:
Macedonia: 1999
Prishtina: 2002-2005
Health professionals trained to date: 600
Food As Medicine program integrated into the nutrition curriculum of University Medical School of Prishtina
Published Research: First randomized controlled trial (RCT) of any intervention with war traumatized children showed that students having symptoms indicating PTSD was significantly reduced from 100% to 18%, and the reduction in symptoms was maintained at a 3 month follow-up. It is also the first RCT of a successful, comprehensive mind-body approach with any traumatized population (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry).
