Why do academic institutions embrace integrative medicine?

One of my profs in my MPH classes studies the use of integrative medicine in larger biomedicine systems. He has found that they are largely used because they provide a cost-effective, often user-fee-supported form of diversion from the more expensive biomedical system for patients with conditions that are more difficult to treat – chronic or intractable conditions like IBS, celiac disease, arthritis, depression, various myalgias, and other conditions.
whether or not there is an evidence base for integrative treatment, people still seek it out and a certain proportion of people with these hard-to-treat conditions consistently report more satisfying and successful treatment from integrative medical professionals.

This helps the biomedical professional because their patients are happy, not asking for expensive and time-consuming tests and attention, and their time is freed up for patients they feel they can more effectively treat with the tools at hand.

It seems to be an odd arrangement, one which annoys many, many biomedical doctors, but it’s interesting how patients continue to seek out this form of treatment.