A nurse at one of Charlotte's hospitals called me recently to complain about the pressure on health care workers to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.
In 2007, Laurie Eustis and Adrienne Love started a Charlotte support group for people with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormone than the body needs.
Through her friend, Margaret Nunez, a hospital chaplain, Palmertree learned a mind-body technique that helped her relax and recover without nausea or other complications.
American medicine seems to be based on the notion that more tests mean better health care. But a 4-year-old federal project is finding success – including better outcomes and cost savings – with a different strategy.