CHICAGO , Ill. , May 12, 2004 -According to a recent report aired by CBS, more than 800 million Americans go to the Internet to look up medical information. ChicagoHealers.com was founded as a means to offer extensive educational information and expert advice on alternative health, and to pre-screen integrative medicine and healing practitioners in cities across the country, an offering not currently available.

ChicagoHealers.com is a free, interactive, web-based resource for alternative healing to address a growing interest in non-traditional approaches, by creating a virtual healing community. ChicagoHealers.com provides a database of top practitioners in Chicago , and information on over 300 modalities to heal the mind, body, and spirit, ranging from Acupuncture and Feng Shui, to Sports Massage and Life Coaching. Each practitioner undergoes a four-phase interview process to reveal the integrity and quality of each healer including a phone screening, detailed questionnaire, extensive interview consisting of an office visit observation when necessary, and a referral.

“I realized the need for ChicagoHealers.com, after my own frustration of not knowing what my choices were,” says JoAnn Hefferle, founder of ChicagoHealers.com. “Our goals are to help people engage their own natural healing, provide reliable and accurate information on alternative medicine, and identify and recommend practitioners through our four-phase interview process.”

The Web offers a wealth of information on health, diet, exercise programs, vitamins and supplements, but it can be difficult to cut through the clutter and determine which information is accurate and relevant to the specific health and wellness needs of an individual. ChicagoHealers.com was created to do this extensive research for the general public, and provide reliable information on integrative health.

“We tested this concept with the launch of ChicagoHealers.com, and will carry this model into cities across the country,” Hefferle continues. “We currently offer a database of nearly 200 top Chicago-area practitioners, and have partnered with two national retail chains to host ongoing educational events.”

ChicagoHealers.com offers expert advice and extensive educational information on integrative health. Key elements are:

•  Pre-Screened Practitioners: an extensive research and selection process that uncovers the top practitioners Chicago has to offer, and makes these insightful findings available to the general public.

•  Education and Empowerment: a broad range of resources including Healthy Start, a self-guided feature that assists to identify one’s obstacles and offers tips for immediate action, and Modality Map, a reference tool that allows visitors to search over 300 modalities to locate a practitioner that specializes in a particular practice area.

•  Healing Community: an opportunity to network with experts and like-minded alternative health enthusiasts through an informative, online community.

•  Events, Workshops and Classes: listings of local classes and workshops in alternative health as it relates to the following categories: business, energy, health, movement, retreats, and spiritual; and special events and promotions sponsored by Chicago Healers, including book signings and seminars.

About JoAnn Hefferle

Hefferle holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and is a former Fortune 200 Corporate Executive and Big 5 Management Consultant. A Chicago native, Hefferle was trained in multiple alternative health modalities, and has dedicated her career to bringing unsurpassed high quality healing to people across Chicago .

About ChicagoHealers.com

ChicagoHealers.com is a free, online resource that supports the health, vitality and quality of life of Chicagoans through 1) education about alternative health modalities, integrative medicine and holistic healing; 2) a prominent integrative health and healing community; and 3) more than 200 treatment modalities offered by pre-screened, high quality practitioners and health centers who represent the best of integrative medicine in Chicago. For more information, visit www.chicagohealers.com.