Total Care Naturopathic Medicine
It was a quiet summer afternoon on Candlewood Lake, the kind of day that reminds you to slow down and listen. I was out on a boat, notebook in hand, listening to an audiobook about one of the pioneers of modern oncology—Dr. Sidney Farber.
Farber’s story struck me deeply. Long before the term “integrative oncology” existed, he was already envisioning something bigger for the children in his cancer wards at Boston Children’s Hospital. He called it “total care.” Not just chemotherapy or medical intervention, but care that extended to the whole person—and their families. It was a radical concept in the 1940s and 50s, and it changed the landscape of cancer treatment forever.
As I listened, I was in the middle of preparing continuing medical education talks for physicians on naturopathic oncology—discussing evidence, outcomes, and how to bridge modern oncology with naturopathic principles. Somewhere between the lake breeze and the hum of the motor, the idea came to me:
“That’s it. Total Care.”
A name that reflects the root-cause, whole-person philosophy that defines naturopathic medicine. A name that honors the integration of science, compassion, and comprehensive healing that Farber believed in—and that our field continues to carry forward.
The design inspiration came soon after. That same summer, my sister was wearing a Hartford Whalers hat on her boat—green, blue, and white, colors that somehow felt both timeless and local. Those colors found their way into our TCNM logo, now adapted with care to reflect each state we serve.
So while the name has roots in the history of oncology, Total Care Naturopathic Medicine is about what’s next: a renewed commitment to patient-centered, integrative, and preventive care—guided by the core principles of naturopathic medicine and grounded in evidence-based oncology.
From a boat on Candlewood Lake to a growing network of compassionate clinics, the vision remains the same:
To listen, to care, and to help patients heal—completely.
— Dr. Dave James, Licensed Naturopathic Physician / Doctor PLLC
Founder, Total Care Naturopathic Medicine
