CSOMA: Letter to California Practitioners

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CSOMA <office

July 22, 2004 6:57:19 PM PDT

 

CSOMA: Letter to California Practitioners

 

 

 

 

July 20, 2004

 

AAOM Letter to California

 

Some questions have been raised regarding the reasons behind the

American Association of Oriental Medicine's (AAOM) movement of our

offices to California. The purpose of this letter is to clarify some of

our intentions and policies so that the California practitioner

community can develop some understanding about our move and our

relationships with state organizations.

 

The principles of autonomy, professionalism and collaboration in the

AAOM's relations with state organizations are integral to our mission

and purposes. (Please see Mission, Principles and AAOM Guidelines and

Principles for 'Interactions with State Organizations' below). An

example of the autonomy principle is California's prerogative to

provide its own licensing examination. In this regard, the AAOM has no

intention to lead California towards replacing its licensing

examination with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture

and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) examination. Another example is the AAOM

letter of support to the legislature for AB-1943 at the request of

California organizations. In addition, at the request of California

organizations, the AAOM did not testify before the Little Hoover

Commission, based on the concern that the Little Hoover Commission was

not receptive to input from organizations outside the state.

 

An example of professionalism is AAOM's empowerment of state

organizations in the maintenance and advancement in the field of

Oriental Medicine. In states where practitioners have limited scopes or

regulations that limit their independence of practice, we work closely

with state associations to bring the experience and resources that will

make a difference. The most recent example of this is in Illinois where

the Illinois State Acupuncture Association was able to get their new

licensing law amended to create independent practice, removing

physician referral. Claudette Baker, president emeritus of the AAOM,

lead the effort and used AAOM contacts and resources to pass the new

law in Illinois. She wrote the language and she and the ISAA lobbyist

worked hard to get this passed.

 

We also work with states that have emerging associations and even

provide them with a model set of bylaws. In our work with states, the

AAOM, as a National Organization, has resources that many states do not

have, and part of our work is to make those available to states.

Protecting and promoting the integrity of the professional practice of

Oriental Medicine. Thus, at a state association’s request, we

intervened in Arkansas during an attempt by certain parties to lower

the state’s standards and to create a 142-hour entry-level standard for

acupuncture. The AAOM intervention prevented a crushing blow to

educational standards for Oriental Medicine in the US.

 

Promoting excellence and advancing the profession of Oriental Medicine

also involves supporting appropriate and higher standards of education.

Since its inception, the AAOM has worked to promote the higher

educational standards that are necessary for practitioners to meet the

ever growing needs of their patients in order to provide them the best

possible care. AAOM attended the public hearings for the Accreditation

Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) and promoted

the development of the doctorate as a first professional degree. ACAOM

created and named the post-graduate clinical specialty doctoral

programs the 'Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine' (DAOM) [we

fought to maintain the title OMD but lost on that one]. Through public

hearings at AAOM conferences, ACAOM commissioners walked into a

firestorm of discontent just after releasing the DAOM first programs.

Immediately following this, ACAOM conducted the national surveys that

revealed a 50% desire for a first professional doctorate nationally and

a 66% preference for a first professional doctorate in California.

Fulfilling its mandate, ACAOM then convened a 'doctoral taskforce' to

create a doctorate as a first professional degree and the AAOM is

directly involved in that discussion along with other stakeholders. The

AAOM supports the doctoral as a first professional degree nationally as

well the doctoral entry-level standards in California, which is

evidenced by our record of support for AB-1943.

 

AAOM Mission Statement

 

The mission of the American Association of Oriental Medicine is to

promote excellence and integrity in the professional practice of

acupuncture and Oriental medicine, thereby enhancing public health and

well-being.

 

AAOM Purposes

 

• To serve as the official representative and spokesperson for the

professional acupuncturist and Oriental medicine practitioner in the

United States.

• To establish, maintain and advance the professional field of

Oriental medicine, with acupuncture and other modalities, as a

distinct, primary care field of medicine.

• To integrate acupuncture and Oriental medicine in to mainstream

health care in the United States.

• To protect and advance the science, art and philosophy of

acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and the professional welfare of our

members.

• To educate legislators, regulators, health care interests and the

public regarding acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

• To develop and maintain standards of ethics, education and

professional competence, and to promote research and inter-professional

relationships, nationally and internationally.

 

AAOM Principles and Guidelines for State Interactions

Professionalism, Autonomy and Collaboration.

 

Professionalism: To protect, maintain and advance the body of Oriental

Medicine.

 

Autonomy: In an individual state, the AAOM respects the dominion that

the state organization maintains.

 

Collaboration: AAOM is committed to the development of collaboration

with state organizations and national organizations to accomplish

common goals and objectives. It is our goal to work with agencies such

as the Federal Association of Oriental Medical Regulatory Agencies

(FAOMRA) and state associations to enhance the field of Oriental

Medicine and to develop communications among these groups for the

furtherance of independence and enhanced scope for our profession.

 

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Note: Should you no longer choose to receive AAOM Updates and News

Alerts, please notify us. Your name will be removed from our files,

and we apologize for the inconvenience.

 

 

AAOM

PO Box 162340

Sacramento, CA 95816

916-451-6950

916-451-6952 Fax

866-455-7999

info | www.aaom.org

 

 

 

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