The Marion Institute announces the sunsetting of our Biological Medicine (BioMed) Program, closing its formal chapter here but not its influence. For more than a quarter century, BioMed has transformed lives, reshaped healthcare thinking, and become an integral part of the Marion Institute’s identity. As we close this program, we reflect on its milestones, honor the people who built it, and affirm how its values will continue to guide us.

BioMed began in the late 1990s, inspired by the Baldwin family’s journey with their son Nathaniel, whose story was later featured on PBS. Determined to bring Biological Medicine—an approach focused on root causes, prevention, and whole-person wellness—to communities and practitioners frustrated by conventional care, Michael and Margie Baldwin and the Marion Institute launched what became a transformative movement.

In 1996, the first public lecture on Biological Medicine featured Dr. Christiane Northrup in Marion, MA. By 1997, the Institute created the Paracelsus Biological Medicine Network (PBMN, later BMN) to help patients access care at the Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland. Over 16 years, more than 1,000 patients were served and scholarships totaling more than $100,000 supported patients and providers alike.

Next, what began as lectures and seminars on the foundations of the BioMed approach to healing quickly became a bridge between worlds, connecting European leaders in the field with U.S. audiences eager for new answers. The first Biological Medicine Seminar Series, launched in 1998 with Dr. Thomas Rau, covered pioneering topics from food allergies to darkfield microscopy and heart rate variability. More than 1,800 attendees (mostly healthcare providers) learned gut health fundamentals before it was commonly discussed, uncovered correlations between environment and illness, and adopted a whole-person approach over symptom management.

From the start, BioMed worked to remove barriers of geography and cost. The Mary Shands Scholarship Fund, established in 2019, continued the access work begun decades earlier, awarding $128,000 to help 62 patients receive Biological Medicine treatment. One scholarship recipient, Anna C. spoke to her appreciation of Biological Medicine this way:

“I want to thank everyone who took the time to consider my situation for assistance. I am beyond grateful. This support has given me hope and security in knowing I now have access to get help with my illness.”

Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, BioMed pivoted quickly to virtual programming through the “Coffee with Dr. Hennie” series (later renamed BioBites) expanding our community and bringing high-quality health education into more than 1,935 homes around the world.

BioMed also became a community outreach force, reaching thousands of lay people through public events, workshops, and webinars. Programs such as BioBites, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the annual 21-Day Reset, and Worksite Wellness initiatives collectively generated more than 150,000 hours of participant learning, giving people simple, practical ways to strengthen their immune systems and prevent illness.

The true measure of BioMed’s impact goes beyond numbers. It lives in the stories of patients who found healing after years of searching, in practitioners who transformed their practices, and in communities newly aware of how environment, nutrition, and prevention shape health. Dr. Ralph Tomasian, a dentist trained in BioMed, put it this way:

“I now follow a medical model that treats the patient and the cause rather than the symptoms. I am deeply indebted to the Marion Institute for making that possible.”

As of October 2025, the Marion Institute’s formal BioMed Program will be archived. This means structured programming under that name will no longer continue, but Biological Medicine—and what it has meant here—will live on. Practitioners trained through BioMed will continue to practice, teach, and extend the network organically, carrying these perspectives into clinics, classrooms, and communities worldwide. Resources such as recorded webinars and historical data will remain accessible to support ongoing learning and connection.

BioMed is not just part of our past—it is woven into the Marion Institute’s foundation. Its pillars of nutrition, detoxification, immune support, and prevention inform every program we run and fuel our ongoing commitment to personal and community health. The close of BioMed as a stand-alone initiative is not an ending but a transition from an organized program to a living legacy sustained by the people it has touched and the ethos it has instilled.

We owe deep thanks to the founders, early visionaries, and partners who pioneered this work; to the speakers, authors, practitioners, and researchers who shared knowledge and inspired change; to the staff, volunteers, and donors who sustained BioMed through times of growth and challenge; and most of all to the thousands of patients, caregivers, and practitioners who engaged with BioMed—seeking healing, learning new ways, and embracing change. Their trust, stories, and resilience are the heart of this legacy.

Biological Medicine has proven that when knowledge, compassion, and community come together, transformation happens. It has shown that healthcare can be personal, preventative, and empowering. And it has reminded us all that true healing begins with understanding the whole person.

As this chapter closes, the movement it sparked shines bright in every patient who takes ownership of their health, in every practitioner who shares these teachings, and in every Marion Institute initiative shaped by its belief. BioMed is not just a chapter in our history; it is the foundation of our future.

Legacy Timeline