WASHINGTON, DC. – On January 1, 2014, Dr. Kasra Pournadeali (pour-na-deli) began a two-year term as President of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. He brings to the position experience of private practice and teaching; expertise in politics and media.
Dr. Pournadeali is the Founder and Director of the Northwest Center for Optimal Health, in Marysville, Wash., one of a few private, off campus naturopathic residency training centers in the Washington State accredited by the Council for Naturopathic Medical Education. He has been a provider for over 20 years, and has held faculty appointments at Bastyr University and the University of Washington.
Dr. Pournadeali has long been a leader in naturopathic medicine politics. When President of the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians, he passed legislation codifying “naturopthic physician” in statute, defined naturopathic doctors as “primary care providers.” He expanded the naturopathic scope of practice to include legend drugs, minor surgery, and injections, while also adding “accredited” to the law as an educational program requirement.
Over the past 15 years Dr. Pournadeali has made over 1,000 radio and television appearances and published hundreds of articles in the professional and lay press. He continues his Healthy Living public radio talk show on Western Washington’s KSER, which airs weekly and can be heard at www.kser.org.
According to Dr. Pournadeali, “Naturopathic physicians are well-positioned to transform health care because we know how to safely combine conventional and natural healing methods and use a patient-centered approach when doing it. My goal as President is to improve resources available to our doctors so they can be successful, tighten up our post-graduate educational offerings, strengthen the voice of our profession as a whole, and accelerate the growth and recognition of our medicine”. “Every American must know about and have access to a licensed naturopathic physician!”
Dr. Pournadeali succeeds Dr. Michael Cronin, who completes his two-year term as President. AANP also welcomes three new Board members: Dr. Darin Ingels from Fairfield, CT; Dr. Jaquel Patterson from Norwalk, CT; Dr. Stephanie Stark from Phoenix, AZ.
