Education: NWUHS Pioneers Hospital Post-Doc for LAcs, Multi-Disciplinary Online CME via NYBI, plus
Written by John Weeks
Education: NWHSU Pioneers Post-Doc Hospital Fellowship for LAc, NYBI Offers Multi-Disciplinary Online CME Course, AHNA and AHMA June Conferences, Nutrition Certification Diplomat Program Accredited, plus ..
Summary: The nation's first post-doc fellowship to place a licensed acupuncturist in a hospital setting is starting via an arrangement between Northwestern Health Sciences University and the Woodwinds Health Campus ... Another multi-disciplinary advance is visible through an online CME program offered through the New York Beth Israel Continuum Center for Health and Healing ... The American Clinical Board of Nutrition achieved a key step toward legitimacy of its diplomat program via hard-won accreditation ... The American Holistic Nurses Association and American Holistic Medical Association each hold June conventions ... And the Prince of Wales prize expands ...
Send your comments or educational developments to
for inclusion in a future Integrator article.
1. NWHSU Launches Pioneering Fellowship for Licensed Acupuncturist at Woodwinds Hospital
An article in the June issue of Acupuncture Today
describes a pioneering post-graduate fellowship established for an
acupuncturist to work in a hospital setting. The program is offered
through the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MCAOM), a part of the multi-disciplinary Northwestern Health Sciences University. Through the paid fellowship, Ian Johnson, LAc, MOm (Master of Oriental Medicine), will work at the Woodwinds Health Campus, under the supervision of NWHSU professor Wei Liu, BMed, LAc, who also has been supervising
clinical rotations at the hospital since early 2006. Acupuncture Today reports that the hope "is that this program will be the first of many offered by acupuncture and
Oriental medicine programs around the country," according to MCAOM Dean Mark
McKenzie, LAc, MOm. The school believes it is the first such fellowship to be offered in the United States. Woodwinds Health Campus medical director Craig Svendsen, MD is quoted as stating that he is
"very pleased to be able to offer our patients this type of care."
Woodwinds is a national leader is creating optimal healing
environments. NWHSU partnered with Woodwinds in creating a successful
outpatient clinic which features chiropractic and acupuncture services.
2. NYBI Continuum Center Offers Multi-Disciplinary Online CME Course on Irritable Bowel
Ben Kligler, MD, MPH - integrative education leader
Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH, contacted the Integrator two months ago about a new online integrative medicine program now being offered through the New York Beth Israel (NYBI) Continuum Center for Health and Healing. The course, on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), is offered as part of an
online professional educational initiative in digestive disorders, according to Kligler. The program is advertised as "unique in offering offering a biopsychosocial, multidisciplinary experience of diagnosis and treatment." Included is a video case
conference during which the integrative approach to IBS is discussed by a medical doctor, an acupuncturist, a nutritionist and a psychologist. The CME/CE module was developed and produced by
Marsha Handel, MLS, director of informatics and online education at the
Center. The work is part of the Center's active grant-funded initiative in
online professional and patient education in integrative medicine. The
course is available to members of all professions on the Center's web site and can
also be taken for 3 CME credits at a cost of $25.00. Kligler, a national leader in integrative medicine with especially important contributions in the area of family medicine, is
research director and co-director of fellowship programs at the
Continuum Center. 3. American Clinical Board of Nutrition Takes Key Step Toward Increased Legitimacy
Certification gains legitimacy
With a somewhat hyperbolic press release stating that "nutrition in America has recently taken a giant
leap forward," the American Clinical Board of Nutrition(ACBN) recently announced that it has gained full accreditation status by the National Commission
for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The announcement from the ACBN stated that the organization "practices non-academic
discrimination which means that all professionals who qualify may sit for the
board certification examination." The
ACBN, founded in 1986, administers a nutrition
certification examination for professionals who desire diplomate status
in nutrition. The release states that ACBN partners with various
universities and state agencies in its examination processes.
Comment: I am not familiar with this organization but do know
that achieving accreditation status with the NCCA is a significant
challenge and speaks well for ACBN's desire to legitimize its certification process. The standards to sit for the exam, which include a PhD in a health professions discipline from an accredited university program, are noted here. http://www.acbn.org/policies_procedures.html#VI
4. Holistic Nursing and Holistic Medicine Conferences in Mid-June
AHNA meets in a natural setting of Tahoe City, June 7-10 with a theme of Wheel of Life: Celebrating Transitions. One such transition will be the end of the very productive term of the current president (and Integrator adviser) Carla Mariano, RN, EdD, AHN-BC, who steered the profession toward formal recognition as a specialty of the American Nurses Association. Among the headliners are Angeles Arrien, PhD, Barbara Dossey, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, and Mathy Mezey EdD, RN, FAAN. A brochure is available by clicking here.
Meantime, the AHMA's theme is Environmental Awareness and Health Care: Tools for Patients and the Planet. Speakers on the topic include Michael Lerner, PhD, Scott Shannon, MD, and Bioneers founder Kenny Ausibel. AHMA meets in Portland, Oregon, June 6-9. For information, click here. 5. Prince of Wales' UK Integrative Care Prize to Be Given Annually
Alas, with the big dollars going to recipients of the Dr. Rogers' Award and the Bravewell pioneer awards (see related Integrator article), the prizes offered by Prince Charles' Foundation for Integrated Health
are looking a little puny - totaling 10,000 pounds - even given the
rise of the pound against the dollar. The UK awards, which began in
1999, predate the US and Canadian versions. They have been presented
every two years since. Starting this year, the presentation will be
annual, doubling the ante. They are funded through Nelson's, the UK's leading manufacturer of natural medicines, do however have the imprimatur of royalty (priceless!) attached to them. Interestingly, the call for candidates focuses less on individuals than on programs, asking if one is "a school, workplace, community centre or health organisation
promoting healthy living and taking an integrated approach to health?
If so, you could be eligible for the 2007 Integrated Health Awards!"
An article in the June issue of 
Last year, the 
