A March 24, 2005 report on MSNBC's show Countdown, as part of MSNBC's "Faith in America" week, discussed faith healers and included ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross on a skeptical note:
[REPORTER MONICA] NOVOTNY (voice-over): But not everyone believes. Dr. Gilbert Ross says while some may be healed, their cures can be explained.
[ROSS]: The placebo effect is a real thing. The people to whom a trusted person administers a medication and assures them that this medicine will work, a substantial number of people will feel better...
NOVOTNY: Dr. Ross does point out, there are controlled clinical studies which have shown that people who are ill who have strong religious beliefs and strong spiritual connections do somewhat better in general than people who do not have such firm beliefs, though he stresses that if someone is very ill and wants to try something like this, they should not do it in place of standard medical care.
