About The Springs, our History & why 'Spa'?
About Us...The Springs provides health care that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit with the goal of promoting wellness and health.
The Springs, Integrative Medicine Center & Spa at Clifton Springs Hospital, is a unique program providing alternative and complementary therapies, including the historic mineral baths, on site with conventional Western medicine. Our services are available for anyone from the community, hospital patients, nursing home residents, hospital and staff. We are easily accessible in the 1300-Wing of the hospital in a serene space away from the hustle and bustle of the main hospital.
We work closely with primary care practitioners, specialists, and other health care providers to ensure an integrative, individualized treatment plan.
The Springs serves as an educational resource as well as a unique center for treatment and is the focal point for integrative medicine efforts at Clifton Springs Hospital.
Our History...The philosophy of caring for the whole person started at Clifton Springs Hospital when Henry Foster, MD, founded a "Water Cure Sanitarium" in 1850 on the 
site of mineral springs, which had been used by generations of Native American healers. Recognizing and maintaining a deep commitment to his understanding of the interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit, Dr. Foster incorporated the best of many therapies including conventional Western medicine practices, natural medicine, hydrotherapy, and homeopathy, during the time he owned and supervised the hospital. Guests came from all over the country and the world for rest and renewal at the Water Cure Facility.
For a century, the healing waters and natural therapies were utilized for a wide variety of conditions, both as "medicine" as well as rejuvenation and relaxation. In the 1950's, a shift away from natural remedies took place. With technological advances in medicine abounding, the hospital closed the baths and focused on the Western medical perspective.
Engaging the vision of using the waters and natural therapies, the Integrative Medicine Center & Spa grew from the personal experience of a Clifton Springs' nurse who was diagnosed with breast cancer. She followed the advice of her physician colleagues, under-going surgery, chemo-therapy and radiation; but as she experienced these treatments, she recognized that she needed more for her healing to be complete. She recognized that Western medicine could not address many of her needs. She looked at her treatment plan from a holistic perspective, adding therapies for healing body, mind and spirit, which included guided imagery, prayer, yoga, massage, Reiki, humor, diet, Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. In these she found the healing she needed.
After her successful healing, she and others, with who whom she shared her story, realized it did not make sense that she had to search so far for the holistic treatments she used. The irony was especially obvious since Clifton Springs Hospital had been founded by a physician who incorporated many interventions besides Western medicine, offering choices for healing.
Re-emerging awareness of the body-mind-spirit connection has brought Clifton Springs Hospital "full circle." On the 150th anniversary of the founding of the hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic opened The Springs to again offer therapies that focus on the health and healing of whole persons. The plan from the beginning was to bring back the waters for healing and to integrate therapies that would address the healing of body, mind and spirit. In November 2004, a wing of the Hospital was renovated for the current site of The Springs, offering the mineral waters with many other therapies for health and healing. The goal of The Springs Integrative Medicine Center is to bring all of these gentle, healing therapies to patients in the hospital and residents of the nursing home and to serve as a resource for the whole community.
For more information on Clifton Springs History, visit The Foster Cottage Museum website.
SPA: 'Sanitas per Aqua' or 'health through water'...In Europe, 'spa' is historically associated with healthcare. Europeans have used mineral waters for thousands of years for their healing properties. The city of Bath, England, got its name from the mineral baths that have been in use at least since Roman times. While certain springs are associated with providing relief from arthritis, others focus on skin health and therapy for conditions such as psoriasis. Spas near the Mediterranean focus on the healing properties of mineral-rich seaweed and seawater. Spas near rich moor bogs use the thermal mud for their pain-relieving, detoxification, and metabolic effects. In all these locations, doctors oversee the entire spa visit and coordinate appropriate use of services. Medical treatments, hydrotherapy, massage and other rejuvenating therapies are offered under one roof. Some national health insurance plans will cover spa therapy for extended durations up to six weeks.
The Springs uses the term 'spa' in the European tradition... we are an Integrative Medicine Center offering the best treatments associated with nature within a hospital setting.
New York State has a rich history of the use of mineral springs for healing. During the Victorian Era, "taking the waters" was a summer-time ritual across the state, drawing patrons from the whole region and world-wide. Each spring site had distinctive mineral composition specializing in treatments for specific conditions. Recent efforts to renew the mineral springs sites across NY seek to create a "Spa Trail," similar to the NY Wine Trail, has spawned a group of entrepreneurs joined together called the New York Spa Promotion Alliance (NYSPA) to assist with the revitalization of the Upstate economy through health and wellness supported through "spa therapy."