ICRP Final Paper

8/17/2019 ICRP Final Paper

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ICRP Coversheet

Student Name: Immanuel Greene Student ID #: 325981

Study Abroad Site: Beijing, China

ICRP Placement (Organization/Business Name): Beijing United Family Healthcare: New Hope

Oncology Center

Project Supervisor(s) at ICRP Placement: Nadia Sbaihi

Dates of Placement (Month(s) and Year): December 22, 2014 — January 23, 2015

Project Title (in English): New Hope: Holistic Healing in a Western Context

Abstract (in English, one or two paragraphs):

The purpose of this project was to gain a deeper perspective into the use of Traditional

Chinese Medicine (TCM) in adjunct with and separately of Western Medicine in China. While

interning at Beijing United Family Healthcare New Hope Oncology Center, interviews, candid

conversation, and symposiums were all used to corroborate and collect research. New Hope

Oncology Center is home to an oncology ward, mental health clinic, and resident TCM doctor that all

contribute to complete recovery of diagnosed patients. In Beijing, one of the most densely populated

cities in the world, there exists a lack of resources in terms of healthcare. New Hope Center, as a partof Beijing United Family Healthcare, is an example of an organization attempting to bring change to

the current standard for healthcare in China They do this not only by providing quality and in-depth

treatment for patients in a warm and loving environment, but also by using innovative techniques,

such as the combination of TCM and Western Medicine to ensure holistic healing of patients.


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Coming to China was a mix of regrets, questions of why I am here, and panic of finishing

my actual major on time. Before coming to China, at a pre-departure orientation, a counselor

from Kalamazoo College talked about something called the “W-Curve” which is summed up as a

roller coaster of high points and low points experienced while on study abroad. It was described

as a never plateauing sine wave of the impending manic-depressive state that comes with the

study abroad experience, and when I got to Beijing I was at the bottom of the curve. I was

expecting a high point, but with the aforementioned emotions racing through my head along with

the loneliness that came with leaving all my friends in The US and having to make new one here,

I couldn’t seem to pull to pull myself out of my negative slope. As I got to know people in

Beijing and became more and more accustomed to my surroundings things started looking up. I

began to explore on my own and look for different opportunities to get involved in different

activities around Beijing. I even started looking up internships that interested me for when our

semester ended, and started reaching out to get a better idea of what the duties entailed.

When first introduced to the Integrated Cultural Research Project, I ran through all the

very Chinese possibilities for a project. I started writing a prospectus to study Chinese Opera, but

could not find an affordable way to do that. I then shifted focus to studying a traditional Chinese

instrument, which again was not affordable. I found an internship working with an organization

that would allow me to trade work for lessons in Chinese cuisine. All of these were very

interesting, but I still felt far from home, not only in terms of the distance, but also in terms of

me being a Pre-Med: Chemistry and Psychology double major. My Project Coordinator, every

week flooded our inboxes about different events going on in Beijing and this week had an event

discussing mental health in China. In searching for different internships, I reached out to Beijing


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United Family Hospital, the hospital where Doctor George Hu, the man giving the talk, works

and said that I would be interested in coming in and talking to him after the event to discuss his

findings and find out more about his research. I also hinted at an internship. Dr. Hu contacted me

personally and encouraged me to apply for an internship at the hospital where he worked and to

feel free to come in and talk to him. About a month before the first Prospectus was due, I applied

for the internship and was moving forward with my prospectus on Chinese cuisine. A few weeks

later I got accepted to work as an intern at Beijing United, but in the Oncology center rather than

the Mental Health Clinic. I originally planned to do this as an addition to my project, but after

talking to my Project Coordinator and getting a better idea of what the Integrated Cultural

Research Project (ICRP) entailed and all the possibilities, I decided to solely intern at the

hospital.

Before starting my internship, I wanted to explore how a Western hospital functions in

China, a country with such a long history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), explore the

history of TCM, the cultivation of Western Medicine in China, and how the two are integrated to

be used together. I also saw this an opportunity to gain some experience in the medical world. In

writing the prospectus, I found some research from Yale University about the use of TCM to

relieve the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. TCM has proven to be very effective

in curing various gastrointestinal disorders and conditions such as vomiting, nausea, and

diarrhea, all of which are common side-effects of chemotherapy. Scientists at Yale used

combinations of the Chinese medicine formulas to produce an effective drug in stopping these

side-effects, and concluded that “Chinese medicine may be a model approach for drug


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developers.” On my first day at the clinic, I was ready to dive into these aspects, but had to1

change my approach.

Beijing United Family Healthcare is “the first and remains China’s largest foreign-

invested healthcare provider. After 17 years in China, UFH has established itself in Beijing,

Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuxi, Tianjin, and now Mongolia as the provider of choice for those who

want the very best in personalized healthcare.” Their mission is to “to provide comprehensive,

integrated healthcare services in a uniquely warm and caring patient and family service-oriented

environment.” Upon arrival at The New Hope Oncology Center I could see how Beijing United

sought to achieve their mission. New Hope Oncology Center is a satellite clinic of Beijing

United Family Hospital’s main campus in Chaoyang district. The Center specializes in the

diagnosis treatment of various types of cancer and provides a integrated and international-

standard approach in their methods. I was really nervous to be working in a cancer clinic, but

upon arrival I was greeted warmly by the staff, nurses, and doctors, and was amazed by the

relaxed and warm atmosphere of the clinic.

My first day at New Hope was a huge struggle. It started with me trying to say the full

name of the hospital to the taxi driver and after failing at that a few times, I just told him where it

was. We got to the Chaoyang area and since I had never been to that side of town I was using my

phone’s GPS and recalling my direction giving lesson in Chinese class to try to navigate this new

place with an uncalibrated map. We passed the clinic twice before I recognized it from the

picture online. Even though the staff of New Hope all speak enough English to handle business

everyday, when I walked up to the front desk I explained to the receptionist, whom I would later

Anonymous. “Chinese Medicine May Help Chemotherapy Patients”. China Daily Xinhua.1

(2010), 16 Dec. 2014.


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get to know as Frank, in Chinese that I am the new intern that is to start today. It turns out that I

was in the wrong place. Frank, told me to go to the Administration building and find the HR

department to register. He tells me how to get there, but when I’m on my way over to there

building I get lost (lu chi), I ask two other people where the main campus of the hospital is, and

after I finally find the building, I talk to the receptionist there and find out that again, I am in the

wrong place. They take me out the back door to this field with barbed wire around it, a guarded

gate, and adults all in the same clothes running around in a circle. It reminded me of a prison

yard. At this point I was not sure where i was going and where I was supposed to be. I kept

following the directions of the receptionist and walked into the building behind the prison yard

and found out that I was actually in Beijing Polytechnic College, which in fact shared a building

with the HR department of Beijing United. As if this extra 30 minutes of transit was not enough,

I went to the HR department and was told by 5 different people that my contact person was in 5

different places, so upon finding my contact and registering I was very relieved. Afterwards I

received my badge and made my journey back to the New Hope Center to meet Frank officially

as the new intern at Beijing United Family Healthcare’s New Hope Oncology Center.

Frank took me around the clinic, introducing me to all the staff, nurses, and doctors and

they all greeted me very warmly saying “welcome to the family”. Frank, telling everyone that I

spoke like a local caused most of the people that we ran into to test my Chinese either by reading

their name badge, or reading something off of a menu. Besides the warm and friendly nature of

those working in the clinic, the atmosphere in the building just was very calm, relaxed, and had a

home-like feeling. I went on and on about the feeling of the clinic in my field notes for the first

day of work. Even the lighting in the consultation, treatment, and waiting rooms were enough to


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relax anyone. While walking around, I saw that the Psychology clinic where I originally wanted

to intern was housed in the same building and the psychologist and psychiatrists work very

closely with the oncology doctors radiologists and nurses. I also assumed that there would be a

lot of crossover that existed between the departments in terms of patients. What surprised me

further was the resident TCM doctor also in the clinic. Frank explained that Dr. Shao Wenhong

(邵⽂虹), a very popular TCM doctor, is the Section Chief and Chair of TCM for Beijing United.

The TCM clinic was a little ways down the street, but due to the overwhelming use of TCM by

chemo and radiation therapy patients, Dr. Shao personally set up an office in the New Hope

Center. It seemed like accomplishing my original goals would be easier than I expected.

After all of the introductions Frank introduced me to file keeping. I was put in charge of

everything pertaining to patient files. I spent all day filing, printing, labeling, copying, and

collating files either behind the front desk with Frank, or in an extremely small and

uncomfortably hot room in the basement. After three days of this, I was about ready to quit

because when I thought internship in a hospital, I expected to be walking around with a doctor

and listening in on appointments. I did not think that any of this would help with the purposes of

my ICRP. However, the more I filed, the more I started picking up patterns in the records, and

the more I grew to understand how things work in the clinic. The TCM doctor uses a very

specific kind of paper for keeping record of patients and in filing, I saw that a lot of the patients

in the oncology clinic also go to see the TCM doctor. The large demand for TCM talked about by

Frank was very visible in the patient files and, without disclosing any personal information, was

a majority in comparison to those not going to see the Dr. Shao.


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In addition to the benefits of being able to glance at files as I was collating, I got to

engage in a lot of interesting conversations with Frank and my other coworkers. We talked about

everything from stereotypes, racial issues, and social differences to travel, food, and mannerisms

between our different backgrounds. I dispelled a lot of stereotypes that they had, seeing that not

many of them had had an extended time with an American or African-American, in this close of

proximity. I also learned a lot about the Chinese culture and habits. They also always made a

point to have me try different foods and traditional Beijing cuisines. One of the most interesting

part of my experience behind the front desk is when we taught each other very local and

dialectical Chinese and English. I learned a lot phrases and random words that Frank encouraged

me to use to make me sound more Chinese. When teaching them English, I gave them

suggestions for talking to patients and customers in the clinic and also taught them different

slangs and sayings from different parts of the country.

On the first day at the clinic, I had worked all of my hours and was I was getting ready to

leave. Frank told me to find a seat and just as he said that all of the doctors, nurses, and staff

gathered around my station at the front desk. I thought it was an intervention or that I had done

something wrong but Dr. Lau, the most senior and Chair of the Oncology started to lead to lead a

discussion on the current patients. The round table meetings happen once a week, usually on

Monday or Tuesday and the doctors, nurses, and staff discuss the progress of the patients and any

concerns they may have. They have the meeting in English, not to cater to me, but rather to

improve the English of the workers there. This experience was another surprise due to the fact of

the amount of sincerity that existed between those in the meeting and the patient files. The

patients were not just a Medical Record Number or a case file. The doctors and nurses knew the


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patients well enough to not only discuss their progress in the hospital, but also how the treatment

was influencing their relationships with their family, and they even made a point to schedule

treatment around personal engagements. Even though the treatment is essential in the healing

process, New Hope makes sure to prioritize the patient and their well-being over the treatment of

the disease.

The second round table meeting that I was able to be present for was about 3 weeks later.

At this meeting Dr. Lau brought up a patient that was really close to being done with treatment.

He suggested successive rounds of chemo and radiation, but a nurse had to cut him off and

request a different method of treatment. That nurse had been in contact with the patient’s nephew

through WeChat® and found out that the nephew was struggling with having to see his uncle

going through such heavy rounds of chemo. Dr. Lau really wanted to finish treatment with the

patient but again, prioritizing the patient over the treatment, he suggested a different method of

treatment to reduce the tax on the body. At this point I learned that the nurses are required to

contact the patient and the patient’s family four to five times after chemo or radiation treatment.

The main purpose of this, explained to me by the clinic manager, is to check in on the patient,

but the other purpose is to start to establish personal relationships with not just the patient but

also with the patients family.

The Clinic manager explained to me that her vision for New Hope Center is to establish

an extended family for the patient and the patient’s family. She understands that cancer is a

disease that affects everyone surrounding the patient. She wants affected by the circumstances to

want for nothing and to feel comfortable coming to the clinic for any grievance, complaint, or

concern. This is a very reasonable vision not only given the warm and kind nature of the staff,


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but also due to the wide spectrum of treatment available for people in the New Hope Center. My

original speculation of the crossover of patients in between the departments was brought up in

the conversation when the Clinic Manager mentioned that many times after a diagnosis of cancer

a patient, and more often, a patients family member will go to the mental health clinic at New

Hope to speak with a psychologist and remain a patient through the duration of treatment. The

patient uses the Oncology clinic for treatment of cancer, and the TCM clinic for the relief of the

side-effects of treatment. While I was at the clinic I started to change my prospectus for my

ICRP. I was so set on comparing holistic healing and western medicine in China, but after being

in the clinic for a few weeks I realized that I was in a place that used the combination of both

Western and TCM to promote holistic healing in China. New Hope Oncology center is exactly

the place that the manager envisioned. It is a place where a patient can be a part of a family that

not only cares a great deal, but also a family that caters to every need that exists through the

duration of their time in the clinic. This is an enormous need for this type of healing in China.

Even with the rich history of holistic TCM, the use of Western medicine in China really does not

live up to the precedent.

Another point that was brought up at the second round table meeting was the issue of a

patient having to complete treatment at a local hospital. Dr. Lau appeared to be deeply saddened

by this news, I assume not just because of the loss of a patient, but rather because of the poor

conditions that exist in the local hospitals. He said that “people really do hate to go back to the

local clinics.”, and everyone nodded in agreement. This meeting again, took place my fourth

week there. In the first week my coworkers encouraged me to go with Frank to canvas at a local

hospital. They said it would be a good experience to see the difference that exists between New


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Hope and the conditions of the local clinics. Frank and I were supposed to arrive at the hospital

at nine in the morning, but he got stuck in traffic and came 45 minutes late. I was a little upset

due to the lack of sleep the previous night and was also in this new and uncomfortable

atmosphere. My coworkers warned me about going to the clinic, but it still did not completely

prepare me for what I saw at the hospital. I had to leave early that day because I was so

overwhelmed. On the way home I wrote my field notes while they were still fresh in my mind:

“There were people literally in every part of the hospital asking for doctors, waiting for

appointments, crying, holding loved ones, and the list goes on. This hospital was just for Cancer

Patients, I cannot imagine what a general hospital must look like. In comparison to our comfy,

quiet clinic on the other side of town, this was China compared to the UK. There were lines at service counters, lines at bathrooms, and lines to sit down. As if this was not enough, looking at

patients was enough to make my heart sink. There were those that just came out of chemo, and

were just worn out. People slept on the floors, people cried in corners, people sat around

hugging loved ones, and in talking to some patients there some of them were in final rounds of

chemo, but some had loved ones that may not make it to new years.”

-Wednesday December 24, 2014 (9:00-11:15)

There were simply too many people and not enough resources to cater to all of the needs of the

patients.

As it turned out, Frank and I were at the hospital that day to bring in patients to our clinic.

This was not as successful as planned. New Hope being a part of Beijing United is a private

clinic and does not accept a lot of forms of insurance so a lot of patients pay larger sums for

treatment and consultation. A consultation at a local clinic with insurance could be as low at 5

RMB. However, at New Hope a consultation can be as much as 3000 RMB. This steep price led

to us turning a lot of people away. Many came to us with problems with the service in the

hospital and many came to us as a last resort because the extent of healthcare in the hospital was

not enough for effective treatment, but we just had to give them our information and hope for the


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best because most of those that came would not be able to pay for treatment at New Hope. After

seeing this stark difference that existed between the two healthcare worlds, I really wanted to

explore the difference between the hospitals outside of the administrative aspect.

Usually Chinese hospitals do not let students walk around with doctors unless they are a

medical student, however since we are a small clinic and the China path and US path to

becoming a doctor are much different, they made an exception for me. Dr. Gu YanFei (顾验菲)

accepted me as her assistant and allowed me to see patients with her when I was not working

with Frank. Sitting in on consultations and check-ups was an interesting experience. I was

surprised to have understood most of what was being said between the patient and doctor

Gu, especially since every appointment was completely different.

Out of all the patients we saw, there is one that sticks with me. A woman came into the

clinic after being referred by an outside imaging clinic. She had been scheduled for Dr. Gu to

review her x-rays and sonograms for diagnosis. She and her husband came in and I remember

her husband seeming very nonchalant and seemingly not very invested in the process. I later

learned that he was just tired from being bounced between local hospitals without service he felt

to be good enough. New Hope Center, I assume, is the place that he deemed acceptable for

treatment of his wife’s cancer. After Dr. Gu looked at her charts and images, she confirmed the

diagnosis of Lung Cancer, but this news did not seem to sink her heart as much as the cost of

treatment. The woman just simply could not afford treatment at New Hope, but instead of turning

her away, Dr. Gu gave Frank a call, explained the situation and she and Frank got their medical

network to look for a clinic that would fit their price range. After about 15 or 20 minutes of

searching, Dr. Gu found another private clinic that was affordable, then she took all of the


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woman’s charts, images, and information and sent them over to the hospital. After they left, Dr.

Gu told me that she did not want them to have to go to a local clinic for treatment. Her husband

works in a local hospital and she told me that he says about 30 or 40 patients a day, and unless

the doctors want to stay in the hospital for 15 hours, they have ensure that the appoints are about

5 to 7 minutes each.

Dr. Gu’s example of care and concern for the patient is commitment to the patients that

Beijing United stand for. It is the going the extra kilometer to ensure that the patient has

everything they need in order to completely recover. Dr. Gu takes it a step further, showing that

even if she cannot be the one to ensure the patients health, she will refer them to somewhere she

can be sure will provide that care at a more affordable price.

It is not that the doctors in local hospital do not care about the patients, and it’s not that

the doctors do not wish to ensure the patients complete recovery, it is just that the numbers of

patients to doctors is not sufficient. The problem that I come across in the process of my ICRP is

the contradiction stemming from precedented healthcare in China and that of what exists now.

My experience at the local hospital really opened my eyes to the lack of resources that exists in

terms of healthcare. China, being a country so based in holistic healing and holistic health, falls

short in terms of providing this Western healthcare for the general public.

Before the start of my ICRP, I attended the mental health talk given by Dr. Hu, which

coincidentally opened the door for my internship opportunity. In his research he has found the

same problem that exists in the local hospitals exists in the diagnosis of mental illnesses. In his

talk he mentions that psychiatrists compared to psychologists are more in demand. Psychiatrists

see about 80 patients a day for about five minutes each. They prescribe a drug and send the


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patient off. He also mentioned that the amount of mental health clinics and various other styles of

western medicine clinic are in low supply. People that live in country-sides, small towns, or

villages have to travel for any amount of time from hours to a day at some points to get to this

clinic. They are then with a doctor for 5-7 minutes and sent off.

When I spoke with Dr. Hu one-on-one, he told me that “this phenomenon causes these

so-called “disenfranchised” people to not come in for various care, or for them to only come if

they have a serious case of some illness. So many illnesses, conditions, and diseases go

undiagnosed because of the quick-fix culture in effect with China’s healthcare system.” Chinese

people are subject to a great deal of completely different pressures and struggles than those of

western civilizations. In terms of mental health, an example that Dr. Hu brought up was that with

the One-Child Policy, many high school students feel that if they do not succeed, they will be the

end of their family’s lineage. This pressure leads to them overtaxing themselves in studying for

the Gaokao (⾼考), China’s college admission test, and this also could give rise to many mental

health cases that go unprecedented in the diagnosis standards of the West. There needs to be

funding and resources available to develop diagnosis and treatment research and practices to fill

this healthcare need.

A change in standards is needed in China’s healthcare system. In focusing in on a topic

for my ICRP, I landed on the New Hope clinic and the mission of Beijing United. With the

disparity that exists between those with access to healthcare and those without, New Hope

Center is a shining example of the model that needs to be present in China. As I got further and

further into my project, I was sure that my original goals had to be completely changed to adjust

to my roll in the clinic, but after reflecting on my whole experience I have realized that my


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journey was like taking the 7th ring road to try to end up at the Forbidden city. I got to

experience many aspects of my topics and through that got a full panoramic view of the

problems I want to address. China does have a rich history of TCM, but is also still in the process

of integrating Western medicine into the everyday culture. The two forms of medicine are

increasingly being used together to treat illnesses and relieve side-effects. With the proven

effectiveness that exists in research done my many labs around the world, there needs to be an

increase of the integrated use of the two medicine. China has a unique opportunity to become a

leader in healthcare in the world today. With China’s financial status increasing everyday, there

needs to be more funding allocated to healthcare to not only provide more opportunities for

healthcare suitable for their numbers in terms of population, but to also fulfill the precedent put

into place by the thousands of year of holistic healing. New Hope Oncology Center is one of

many clinics in Beijing and in China that are striving to improve the healthcare standards in

China.

The Clinic manager of New Hope wants to not just treat the symptoms of cancer, but

wants to treat the patient and the patients family along with that. New Hope, being a Western

style hospital functions in China by providing holistic healing to its patients in the integrated

treatment of cancer. They integrate TCM and Western medicine by the juxtaposition of cancer

treatment therapy with TCM to relieve side-effects and make the experience more bearable. This

phenomenon is become more and more apparent in China, and in talking with Kelly Ohlrich,

whom for the purposes of her ICRP interned in a hospital that combined Western treatment of

diabetes with TCM to relieve side-effects, it is apparent that the possibilities of this powerful

combination of treatment goes beyond anything Western medicine or TCM can accomplish


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alone. Examples of the New Hope Center clinic are needed in China to bring a internationally

invested form of healthcare accessible all over China and, maybe someday, accessible all over

the world.


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Words Learned

1.路痴 (lùch") poor sense of direction

2.哥们 (g#men)endearing term for buddy

3.齁 (h$u)sickeningly sweet or salty

4.擦鞋 (c%xi&)

想暮 (mùxi'ng)To pine for someone

5.喜爱 (x"’aì)To like in the platonicsense

6.⽆病呻吟 (wúbìsh#ny"n)Moan and groan about animaginary illness

7.⽩⼤褂 (b'i dà guà)Doctor’s coat

8.倾诉 (q"ngsù)Pour out one’s heart

9.⼩⽓ (xi'oqì)Niggardly, cheap

10.落枕 (l'ozh#n)stiff neck when waking up

11.照⽚⼦ (zhàopiànzi)

X-ray

12.客户 (kèhù)Customer

13.前台 (qiántái)Receptionist

14.收银台 (sh$u yín)Cashier

15.想念 (xi'ng niàn)

去氧⿇⻩碱 (qùy'ngmáhuángji'n)Methamphetamine

16.低调 (d"diào)Low-key person

17.本科⽣ (b&nk#sh#ng)Bachelor’s student

18.夸张 (ku%zháng)Over-exaggerate

19.以免 (y( mi'n)In order to avoid20.⻔诊 (ménzh&n)Outpatient

21.开屏 (k%ipíng)Peacock open feathers

22.整理 (zh&ngl( )To put in order

23.病例 (bínglì)Patient file

24.⼤夫 (dàifu)informal: doctor

25.放疗 (fàngliáo)

Radiation therapy

26.淋巴癌 (línb%’ái)lymphoma

27.⿊⾊素癌 (h#isèsù’ái)Melanoma

28.乳腺癌 (r)xiàn’ái)Breast Cancer

30.肺癌 (fèi’ái)

31.肝胆胰癌 (g%nd'nyí’ái)Gastrointestinal cancer32.胃肠炎 (wèichángyán)Gastrointesnitis

33.妇科 (fùk#)Gynecology

34.⼉科 (érk#)Pediatrics

35.肿瘤 (zh*nglíu)Tumor

36.⼿术 (sh*ushù)Surgery

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