PHOTOS BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY

health

Dr. John Simon, Robert Simon, Andrew Erlich, Dr. Kathy Erlich and Joan Simon, all of Franklin, in
the meeting room of the home they renovated to become Franklin Holistic Medical.

Holistic Orientation

Franklin’s Slade home offers the perfect
setting for new practice.

RUTHAN BRODSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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St. Joe’s is a nationally award-winning health

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or call 800-372-6094.

historic home in Franklin has
attracted a holistic medical
practice.
“Our daughter, Kathy, had always
dreamed of conducting her pediatric
practice in a home rather than an
office building so that her patients
and families would feel comfortable
and have a less stressful experience,”
said Joan Simon of Franklin.
“When she told us the Slade house
in Franklin was on the market and
perfect for her medical practice, my
husband, John, and I immediately
offered to partner with her and her
husband in the purchase. We enjoy
doing things with her and this was a
great opportunity.”
Among the first priorities for
renovation was to brighten the
external color on the 1860 historic
house across from the gas station in
Franklin. Franklin Holistic Medical
opened its doors this February with a
growing team of four professionals.
Dr. Katherine Erlich, M.D., of
Franklin received her medical degree
at Michigan State University College
of Human Medicine and completed
her pediatric residency at William
Beaumont Hospital. During her first
11 years as a board-certified pediatri-
cian, she worked with a large pediat-
ric practice.
Influenced by her father, Dr. John
Simon, D.V.M., a holistic veterinarian
in Royal Oak for more than 50 years,
Erlich realized that so much of what
she did was just treat symptoms
rather than the underlying causes of
the problems.
“I became frustrated with how lit-
tle I could help my patients,” she said.
“I knew there had to be more I could

do. During the next few years, I read
many books, attended conferences
and shadowed successful holistic
doctors to learn what was working
for them.”
In 2009, she left a large conven-
tional pediatric practice to open
her holistic pediatric practice at
the Center for Holistic Medicine in
West Bloomfield. Today, Erlich sees
patients at that office and at Franklin
Holistic Medical.
“I was drawn to Dr. Erlich because
of her broad toolkit to keep kids
healthy,” said Jessica Tobin of West
Bloomfield. “Patients benefit from
conventional medicine and other
modalities when appropriate, includ-
ing homeopathy, herbal remedies,
and supplements. Whether our child
suffers from a chronic illness or an
ear infection, it’s comforting to know
she will take a holistic approach, and
our children will receive the best of
all worlds under her expert care.”
Erlich and her co-author Kelly
Genzlinger are updating their very
popular book, Super Nutrition for
Babies (Fair Winds Press, 2012). “This
new edition will have all new recipes
and new information about topics —
some of which I didn’t have the guts
to publish in the first edition,” Erlich
said.
Robert “Robbie” Simon, also influ-
enced by his father’s holistic practice,
recently returned to his hometown
of Franklin following 17 years of
education and training in Florida
and California. He joins his sister at
Franklin Holistic Medical.
After graduating from University of
Michigan with a B.A. in Asian Studies,
he attended the Barbara Brennan

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June 28 • 2018

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