Dr Carl O Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show, will interview Dr Harold Koenig, and Mary McManus on Saturday at 3 p.m. EST Station 1 (www.bbsradio.com)

Dr Koenig, M.D., MHSc is the second lead interview for this series (Dr Bernie Siegel was interviewed for the last show) . Dr Koenig completed his undergraduate education at Stanford University, his medical training at the University of California at San Francisco and his geriatric medicine, psychiatry, and biostatistics training at Duke University. He is board certified in general psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry and geriatric medicine, and is on the faculty at Duke University as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Associate Professor of Medicine. He is also a registered nurse (R.N.).

Dr Koenig is founder and former director of Duke University’s Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality and Health, and is founding Co-Director of the Current Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University Medical Center. He has published extensively in the fields of mental health. geriatrics, and religion, with close to 350 scientific peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and nearly 40 books in print or in preparation. He is the former editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine and of Science and Theology News. His research on religion, health and ethical issues in medicine has been featured on over 50 national and international TV news programs (including the Today Show, ABC’s World News Tonight, and several times on Good Morning America), over 100 national or international radio programs (including multiple NPR and BBC interviews), and hundreds of national and international newspapers and magazines (including cover stories for Reader’s Digest, Parade Magazine, and Newsweek) Dr Koenig has given testimony before the U.S. Senate (September, 1998) and the U.S. House of Representatives (September 2008) concerning the effects of religious involvement on public health. He has been interviewed by James Dobson on Focus on the Family and by “Robert Schuller in the Crystal Cathedral on the Hour of Prayer. He has also been nominated twice for the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

Dr Koenig’s latest books include The Healing Power of Faith (Simon & Schuster, 2001), The Handbook of Religion and Health (Oxford University Press, 2001:2011 forthcoming), his autobiography, The Healing Connection (2004), Faith and Mental Health (2005), In the Wake of Disaster (Templeton Press), Spirituality in Patient Care, 2nd Edition (2007), and Medicine, Religion and Health ((2008) Published by Templeton Foundation Press. Dr Koenig travels extensively to give workshops and seminar presentations. More information is available at: http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/about/hkoenig/

Ms Mary McManus is a poet, fund raiser, former award winning social worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2009 Boston Marathon Finisher, inspirational speaker, and an award winner in her “new life” discovered a whole new world was waiting to unfold before her after the life altering diagnosis of post polio syndrome in December 2006.

Mary was diagnosed with paralytic polio at age 5 and overcome the childhood challenges of polio, an abusive alcoholic father and a drug addicted mother by immersing herself in her academic career. She was high school valedictorian and later received a BS in Communications from Boston University and a Masters of Social Work from Boston College where she was induced into the Jesuit Honor Society Alpha Sigma Nu.

While working at Veterans Affairs, Mary received a Certificate of Appreciation Award from the Blind Veterans Association, was Social Worker of the Year, and employee of the month but was forced to leave in 2007 because of a diagnosis of post-polio syndrome.Although she had a vision of God while paralyzed and knew that she would have the ability to overcome and be able to walk again she was told to quit her position with the VA after 20 years as a social worker. Thereafter, in February 2007 God spoke to Mary through poetry and inspirational poetry began pouring out. As she continued to visualize healing and connecting with God she began experiencing healing of mind, body and spirit. With intensive rehabilitation, lifestyle changes and harnessing her faith through prayer, writing poetry, meditation, visualization, and seeking out healers including an energy healer, a nurse healer on line and working with Dr Bernie Siegel she went on to run the 2009 Boston Marathon and raise $10,535 for Spaulding Rehab Hospital. She is now the author of two books on inspirational poetry including New World Greetings: Inspirational Poetry and Musing for a New World
published in December, 2007 and Set Sail for a New World: Healing a Life Through the Gift of Poetry (2010) and donates 20% of the proceeds to Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Program. Her dream is to see a polio free world in her lifetime.

Mary has been a guest at the Jordan Rich show on WBZ in Boston and was selected by Boston’s # 1 FM station Magic 106.7 as their Exceptional Woman. She was also a finalist for Brookline Woman of the Year 2010 and honored at their award ceremony Women Who Inspire Us. She has been featured on numerous blog talk radio shows, a presenter at the 2009 Massachusetts Poetry Festival and a speaker at the Boston GreenFest 2010. She is the subject of a short film documentary Keeping the Pace: The Mary McManus Story. She is currently working on a third book on inspirational poetry with Dr Bernie Siegel. More information is available at: www.marymcmanus.com

Yesterday Dr Carl O. Helvie, Host of the Holistic Health Show, interviewed Dr Francisco Contreras and Dr Arlene Donar. Dr Contreras is the Medical Director, President, and CEO of the Oasis of Hope Hospital where they have treated over 100,000 cancer patients using a natural holistic approach. More information is available on an earlier post on this site and at: www.oasisofhope.com

Dr Arlene Donar, a Naturopathic Physician, is in private practice working with clients with chronic conditions and lecturing locally in the New York and Connecticut areas on prevention and treatment of diseases using biological medicine and clinical nutrition. More information is available on an earlier blog here and at www.drdonar.com