Framework Integrative Medicine: Decoding the 2026 Care Model
Introduction: Why “Framework” Matters More Than a Service List
Most people who search for “framework integrative medicine” want one thing: details about the Tigard, Oregon clinic of that name, including its address, its providers, and how to book. The word “framework” also raises a broader question that deserves an answer: what actually holds an integrative practice together beneath its list of services?
This article has two goals. It gives local and branded searchers accurate clinic information, and it teaches a skill that applies anywhere: how to evaluate the treatment philosophy behind any integrative practice.
Framework Integrative Medicine, located at 9735 SW Shady Ln, Suite 303, Tigard, OR 97223, and founded in 2021, serves as the case study used throughout this article. The article first defines “framework” in philosophical terms, then separates the naturopathic, functional, and biomedical models, and finally applies a consumer checklist to this specific practice.
The stakes are significant. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Americans spend approximately $30.2 billion per year on complementary health treatments, practices, and products. With that much money involved, patients benefit from knowing exactly what they are paying for.
What Does “Framework” Actually Mean in Integrative Medicine?
In healthcare, a framework is more than a marketing word. It is a structured set of principles that determines how a clinic diagnoses illness, chooses treatments, and coordinates care.
This matters to patients because the framework decides whether a clinic blends conventional and complementary care thoughtfully or simply adds alternative services to a standard visit. As one ScienceDirect overview puts it, integrative medicine is “an overall approach and framework that can be incorporated into all branches of allopathic medicine,” rather than a standalone specialty.
Andrew Weil’s Healing-Oriented Model
The Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine offers the most widely cited definition. It describes integrative medicine as a healing-oriented approach that considers the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle, and that is informed by evidence.
Weil’s defining principles include:
- Partnership: Patient and practitioner work as partners in the healing process.
- Whole-person factors: Mind, spirit, and community are considered alongside the body.
- Blended methods: Conventional and complementary methods are used together to support the body’s innate healing response.
- Less invasive first: Natural, less invasive interventions are preferred when possible.
- Critical evaluation: Conventional medicine is not rejected, and complementary therapies are not accepted uncritically.
That last principle is the key nuance. Weil’s model is a framework for discernment, not a brand label.
NCCIH’s Whole-Person Health Framework
NCCIH, the U.S. federal authority on the subject, defines integrative health as treatment of the whole person rather than separate organ systems, with well-coordinated care among different providers.
Its 2021 to 2025 strategic plan moved further toward “whole person health.” This concept emphasizes integrating the body’s physiological systems, viewing the individual as a whole rather than a collection of parts, and prioritizing self-care and nonpharmacologic interventions. NCCIH has consistently held that evidence-based complementary therapies should be “integrated” with conventional medicine and not used as an “alternative” to it.
Newer Institutional Frameworks (2025–2026)
In December 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a global conceptual framework for integrating traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine into national health systems. It identifies four integration models: people-led, practitioner-led, coordinated, and blended. These are organized along two dimensions: decentralized versus centralized, and pluralistic versus unified.
A 2026 PubMed-indexed article proposes a structured referral framework for general practitioners. It names real barriers to adoption: limited knowledge among general practitioners, insufficient coordination among providers, and uncertainty about reimbursement.
Even in 2026, no single universal standard for integrative medicine exists. Several credible frameworks coexist, which is exactly why patients need evaluation tools rather than simple trust in terminology.
Naturopathic vs. Functional vs. Biomedical: Untangling the Labels
These three labels are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things.
- Biomedical (conventional) medicine is the baseline. It is driven by diagnosis, centered on medications and procedures, and focused on individual organ systems.
- Naturopathic medicine is a licensed form of primary care that emphasizes prevention, natural therapeutics, and root-cause treatment. It is a distinct, state-regulated profession, not an unlicensed alternative practice.
- Functional medicine is a diagnostic lens, not a licensed profession. It looks for root-cause imbalances using a systems-biology approach. MDs, DOs, NDs, and nurse practitioners often apply it as an added framework.
The critical distinction for consumers is this: “functional medicine” is a philosophy that any licensed provider can apply, while “naturopathic doctor” is a specific credential with a defined scope of practice that varies by state.
Framework Integrative Medicine combines the two explicitly. Its naturopathic doctors practice with a “functional medicine approach.”
Case Study: Framework Integrative Medicine (Tigard, OR)
Framework Integrative Medicine is a family-care clinic at 9735 SW Shady Ln, Suite 303, Tigard, OR 97223, serving the greater Portland area. It was founded in 2021 and, according to business-directory data, employs a small team of roughly four to seven staff members.
Providers:
- Dr. Kaley Bourgeois, ND: naturopathic physician licensed in Oregon and Washington
- Dr. Jorge Reveron, ND: Spanish-speaking naturopathic physician practicing since 2018
- Liz (Elizabeth) Bourgeois, LAc: acupuncturist and herbalist
The clinic describes itself as “Your Portland area clinic for integrative family medicine with a functional medicine approach.”
Services include: wellness and gynecological exams, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, diagnostic labs and imaging, IV nutrient therapies, ozone therapy, trigger point injections, PRP, neural therapy, BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy), and cosmetic treatments.
The clinic states its philosophy directly: “We believe in the body’s innate ability to heal and thrive at all stages of life. It is our first duty to support this natural ability in each patient through the utilization of botanical medicine, nutritional therapies, diet and lifestyle changes. This provides the framework for overcoming obstacles to optimal health.”
On its integrative approach, the clinic adds: “Framework utilizes an integrative approach to health care, combining conventional treatments with complementary services such as acupuncture, IV infusions, and nutritional counseling. We use these tools to diagnose and treat the underlying conditions that cause symptoms, rather than just the symptoms themselves.”
Mapping Framework Integrative Medicine Onto the Academic Models
Weil alignment. The clinic’s emphasis on “innate ability to heal” reflects Weil’s healing-oriented core. Its pairing of botanical and nutritional therapies with conventional labs and imaging matches Weil’s call for blended methods. Its family-care structure supports the ongoing patient-practitioner relationship that Weil considers essential.
NCCIH alignment. The clinic’s stated focus on underlying conditions rather than isolated symptoms fits NCCIH’s whole-person definition. Offering both conventional and complementary modalities under one roof supports coordinated care.
Spectrum position. The practice is a hybrid. Licensed NDs serve as primary care providers while applying a functional-medicine diagnostic lens, rather than following a single school of thought.
Readers can repeat this mapping exercise for any clinic they are considering, not only this one.
Licensure and Scope of Practice: What Oregon Actually Allows
The clinic’s FAQ explains that “A naturopathic doctor (N.D.) is a licensed physician trained in primary care with an emphasis on preventative medicine, natural therapeutics, and treating the root cause.”
In Oregon, according to the same FAQ, licensed naturopathic physicians can:
- Serve as primary care providers
- Order diagnostic labs and imaging
- Prescribe natural and pharmaceutical medications
- Perform minor surgery
- Administer IV nutrients and therapeutic injections
This is a national concern because ND scope of practice varies dramatically from state to state. A service that is legal in Oregon, such as IV therapy or minor surgery, may be prohibited or regulated differently elsewhere. Readers evaluating clinics in other states should check their own state’s rules.
The LAc (Licensed Acupuncturist) credential follows a separate licensure track, and it should be verified independently.
The Evidence Question: Separating Philosophy From Proof
Not all therapies carry the same weight of evidence. Acupuncture for certain pain conditions, nutritional counseling, and lifestyle medicine have more substantial research behind them. Ozone therapy, some IV nutrient protocols, and PRP for certain uses have more limited or mixed evidence.
NCCIH supports integrating evidence-based complementary therapies, which means not every complementary offering stands on equal footing. A strong framework acknowledges these differences rather than presenting every service as equally proven.
Patients should ask providers directly what evidence supports a recommended therapy for their specific condition. This is a universal best practice, not a criticism of any single clinic.
The Consumer Checklist: How to Evaluate Any Integrative Medicine “Framework”
The following checklist can be applied to any integrative clinic.
1. Is the Philosophy Clearly Stated?
Look for a written philosophy, not just a service menu, that explains how the clinic views healing, root causes, and the roles of conventional and complementary care. Framework Integrative Medicine’s published philosophy statement is an example of the transparency to look for.
2. Are Providers Licensed and Is Scope of Practice Clear?
Verify credentials (ND, MD, DO, LAc, NP) and confirm licensure in the state where care is delivered. Ask which services fall within that license’s legal scope in that state, using the Oregon ND example as a model for the type of question to ask.
3. Is Conventional Care Integrated, Not Replaced?
Confirm that the clinic uses diagnostic labs and imaging and will refer to or coordinate with specialists when needed, in line with NCCIH’s coordinated-care standard.
Red flag: any framework that discourages conventional diagnostics or presents itself as a full replacement for primary care without coordination.
4. Is There an Evidence Standard?
Ask how the clinic decides which therapies to offer. Is it tracking research and outcomes, or relying mainly on tradition and anecdote? Request evidence specific to the condition being treated before starting therapies such as IV nutrients, ozone, or PRP.
5. Is Cost and Business Model Transparent?
Ask upfront which services are billable to insurance (typically primary care) and which are cash-pay (often IV therapy, cosmetic treatments, and acupuncture). Clarify membership fees, package pricing, and recurring treatment plans before committing.
6. Does the Framework Treat Patients as Partners?
Assess whether visits include real discussion of lifestyle, diet, and goals, reflecting Weil’s partnership principle, rather than a rushed, symptom-only exchange. Confirm that a clear intake and root-cause process exists instead of a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Questions to Ask Any Clinic Claiming an ‘Integrative Framework’
Patients can bring these questions to a consultation:
- “What is your clinical philosophy, and how was it developed?”
- “What is each provider’s license and scope of practice in this state?”
- “How do you decide which complementary therapies to recommend?”
- “Will you coordinate with my other doctors?”
- “What does a typical treatment plan cost, and what is covered by insurance?”
Comparing answers across two or three clinics shows which practices actually put their stated framework into action and which simply use the term as marketing language.
Conclusion: Using ‘Framework’ as a Filter, Not a Buzzword
“Framework” represents a meaningful philosophical and clinical commitment. It is rooted in models from Andrew Weil, NCCIH, the WHO, and academic referral research, not just a trendy word on a clinic homepage.
Framework Integrative Medicine in Tigard offers one concrete example of these principles in practice: licensed NDs, a functional-medicine lens, acupuncture, IV therapy, and a clearly stated root-cause philosophy. The same checklist applies whether a patient is considering this clinic or any other integrative practice in the country.
Patients who understand frameworks make better and safer healthcare decisions. That is the real value of looking past the directory listing.
Learn More and Explore Integrative Medicine Coverage
TopDoctor Magazine continues to cover integrative, functional, regenerative, and personalized medicine practitioners and practices nationwide, with a focus on the people and philosophies behind the care.
Healthcare professionals practicing within an integrative framework can learn about TopDoctor Magazine’s editorial profiles and its Awards Program, which recognizes providers who are “a force for positive change in medicine and wellness.”
Next steps for readers:
- Nominate a doctor who is making meaningful contributions to patients and the profession.
- Subscribe to TopDoctor Magazine’s free biweekly newsletter for more in-depth guides on evaluating healthcare models, providers, and emerging treatment philosophies.
- Listen to the TopDoctor Magazine Podcast, hosted by Rob Fletcher, for interviews with practitioners across integrative and conventional medicine.
