Dr. Peter Cole at his desk with Ila Sisson and Dr. Nadine French Dr. Nadine French, who was formerly with Shelburne’s Mel Lloyd Clinic, is really excited about her new professional partnership with Dr. Peter Cole, M.D., and Ila Sisson, a health-promoting registered nurse.

The practice is in part of an older home on a beautiful Mono property called Glamorum, on Highway 10 just north of Orangeville. The property is well-treed and a peaceful place, “an oasis of care.”

Dr. Cole is very much in the habit of creating places of care. He worked for many years in the Region of Peel, establishing after-hours clinics and health centres in the region. In fact, he was Commissioner of Health for Peel, and says he resigned the post out of frustration with the politics.

In many ways, Dr. Cole is a traditional medical professional, but in others he is leading a long-awaited revolution, for he brings natural healing methods into his medical practice. What is more, he is teaching medical students ways off the beaten tracks of standard medical procedures, with considerable success.

Ten years ago, he met with natural healers in the area. There were 55 of them. They wanted to organize themselves into a group, “have a building and all that.” Dr. Cole just wanted a network of some sort, so he let the matter drop.

However, as part of the way in which he practises medicine, he refers patients sees in need to osteopaths, acupuncture and other natural healing professionals.

But in order to achieve his objective, which “is to get this [natural healing] into the medical community,” he very wisely teaches “a lot of students.”

“I like four- and five-year students,” he commented. “They’re young and still impressionable. I have them examine and make notes about a patient whom I am sending to a natural practitioner – a chiropractor, say. The student goes with the patient to see what is done and then, after a number of sessions, the student comes back and re-examines the patient to see the progress of healing.

“These were students from U. of T. It got so that they asked to come to me,” he went on to say. “I got a call from Ottawa, asking about my methods. When I said what I was doing, they said,

That’s going to become required.’ I told them that it couldn’t be. But I still do it. I’m on the faculty of four universities who send their students to me.”

Dr. Cole lectures on natural health at Headwaters Health Care Centre. He told me dryly that, besides the students, nurses attend the lectures, but the doctors do not.

“At the beginning of my lectures, I tell the students that I will give them copies of the slides and the lecture notes so that they don’t have to take notes,” he said. “I ask them to put their pens down and just listen – just take it in so they really understand.”

When I was surprised that he was not mocked by other medical professionals, he explained: “I have a very significant track record. I started establishing community health centres in the 1970’s. was co-author of ‘Health Goals of Ontario,’ which was written by an elite minister. I was a consultant to the Ontario Ministry of Health.”

In 1991, an outbreak of meningitis catapulted Dr. Cole into the public eye, in Mississauga, where he had a clinic. He refused to immunize people against the disease. “I received threats,” he said, “received death threats. But [Mayor] Hazel McCallion backed me. She told everyone to trust me.”

He was on the courtesy staff at Headwaters and was welcomed by the Chief of Staff when he came to Orangeville to set up at Glamorum, in 1999.

And he has many awards for his accomplishments over the years.

Ila Sisson is also a Bowen therapist. Between standard medical methods and natural approaches to healing, there is an understanding that the body can be healed and can be assisted to heal itself:

balance

a balance of approaches. Into this balance, others want to come and help.

Dr. Nadine French met Dr. Cole and Ms. Sisson and there was such a happy coming-together of like minds that it only made sense for her to join their practice. So, late last year, they built an addition and in these early months of 2010, Dr. French has been installed with her secretary, Sherri, and says she is so grateful to the patients who came with her the 12 miles from Shelburne.

In addition, Karen Goodwin, mother of one of Dr. Cole’s patients, expressed the wish to become a nurse practitioner. It takes months of lectures at school and hundreds of hours of practical training to attain the certificate. Karen, who wanted to do the work, asked Dr. Cole if he would take on her training. There is no remuneration for this. Still, he was prepared to handle the work.

Once Karen earned her certificate, he asked for her to be delegated to his practice full-time but found it not as simple as that.

Dr. Cole is a member of the family health team at the Highlands Health Network, which pays the nurse practitioners. Although Dr. Cole had contributed extensively to her training, he was only able to claim some of her time – one day week. But now that there are two doctors in the practice, they are able to claim more time.

It is the passion for the philosophy that binds this group of “health promoters,” Dr. Cole, Dr. French and Ms. Sisson, and their nurse practitioner, Karen. Their love of the property on which the practice stands and their profound respect for one another create a feeling of comfort.

As Ms. Sisson commented, “This is a home and feels like it. Everyone loves being here.” Dr. Cole remarked: “love the fact that I can watch families evolve – and I know the family [medical] history – we know what to watch for by knowing what has come up in the past with other family members.

“I had one five-generation family until recently when the great-grandmother died. I still several four-generation families. It means lot.”

With the happy expansion to their practice, in space and personnel, both doctors are now accepting new patients. Their telephone numbers: Dr. Cole, 519-942-6268; Dr. French, 519-940-8100.