Beyond Symptoms: Middletown Summit Explores Whole-Person Health

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.—What should a doctor consider beyond a patient’s symptoms? And what can people do for their health between appointments?

Those questions connected discussions of patient care, self-care and medical education at Northern Medical Center’s ACES Medicine Launch and Strategic Summit on Oct. 11. Dr. Jingduan Yang, the center’s CEO, introduced a framework intended to bring those areas together.

ACES stands for anatomy, chemistry, energy and soul. In his opening remarks, Yang described it as “not a new medicine,” but a way to organize approaches drawn from different cultures and generations. In an interview, Yang said the launch would not change the care patients receive at Northern Medical Center because its clinicians already incorporate the framework into their work.

Asked what that means during an appointment, Yang described evaluating physical structure, biological function and nutrition, considering energy through Chinese medicine, and discussing patients’ relationships, lifestyles and purpose. He said the framework includes conventional treatments such as medication and surgery, alongside attention to patients’ lives between visits.

The “soul” dimension brings spiritual health and meaning into that discussion. In a later presentation, Yang explained his view that beliefs and values shape how people interpret and respond to events. He referred to Falun Dafa’s principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance as part of that discussion of spiritual values. Falun Dafa was also part of the day’s activities: before the presentations began, some attendees joined an optional exercise session inside the conference room.

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For Yang, the framework’s purpose extends to what people do for themselves after leaving the doctor’s office. He said the center plans to offer free educational seminars and experiential workshops where residents can learn about self-care and meet healthcare professionals. Donations would be optional, and details would be announced on the Northern Foundation website, he said.

He also introduced Five for Health, a campaign encouraging people to donate $5, share the initiative with five others and commit to movement, nutrition, sleep, connection and purpose. Yang said the small contribution was intended to make participation accessible, although larger and monthly donations would also be welcome.

The emphasis on a person’s daily life resonated with Ryan McCarroll, a senior studying health science at Siena College who hopes to become a doctor. A professor recommended the summit after introducing him to Yang’s framework.

“I’m just here to get some better perspectives from people who know more than I do,” McCarroll said. Asked what he would want a consultation to include, he described a stronger relationship with the doctor, with questions about a patient’s lifestyle, food, interests and background.

How future doctors might learn to build those relationships was central to Dr. Cynthia Zhang’s presentation on the proposed Northern School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Zhang outlined an approach combining clinical training with communication, self-awareness and attention to patients’ experiences, with ACES incorporated into the curriculum.

Proposed areas of study include nutrition, evaluating artificial intelligence in healthcare and rural health. Zhang emphasized preparing doctors who can listen and develop relationships as well as acquire clinical skills.

The summit also recognized a contribution to the proposed school’s library: approximately 250 homeopathy books donated by Barbara Lowry. Lowry said she contacted Yang while moving from Texas to Florida and packed the collection into 10 heavy boxes, initially imagining it might remain in storage until the school developed.

Lowry and fellow speaker Jerry Kantor presented their views on homeopathy and its therapeutic effects at the event. However, the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says there is little evidence supporting homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific health condition.

The school itself remains a proposal. According to Zhang’s presentation, its New York State Education Department application has been written and reviewed but has not been submitted because of insufficient resources.

In a follow-up email, Zhang said $50 million is needed to start the medical school. The longer-term funding target is $300 million, intended to help make it self-sustaining and support a broader healthcare ecosystem that she said might include additional programs.

Zhang’s presentation projects approximately six to seven years to full accreditation once capital is secured and filings can proceed without a funding gap. That estimate is not a confirmed opening date; the roadmap places admissions after preliminary accreditation.