Brief Notes: Professional Organization Action in Integrative Medicine and Natural Health Care
Written by John Weeks
Brief Notes: Professional Organization Action in Integrative Medicine and Natural Health Care
Summary: AAAOM pushes acupuncture codes at WHO ICD meetings ... American Holistic Nurses Association and American Nurses Association publish holistic nursing text ... Leaders of homeopathic organizations see outreach power in Dana Ullman, MPH book on famous people who use homeopathy ... American Association of Naturopathic Physicians to assist US Department of Labor in definition project ... Multi-disciplinary Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium reports plan to push anti-discrimination legislation at the federal level ... American Massage Therapy Association media campaign awarded ... American Holistic Medical Association leader reports satisfaction with legislation passed in Louisiana in 2002 which protects integrative and holistic practices by MDs ...
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The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
sent a September 13, 2007 notice to members with useful analysis of the
current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for dietary supplements document
issued by the US Food and Drug Administration. The AAAOM
action, which is particularly instructive relative to the impact of the
cGMPs on practitioners and educational institutions, was covered in a separate Integrator notice.
The AAAOM also recently published a report by Jeannine Kang, LAc, AAAOM's representative to the World Health Organization.
Chang wrote on AAAOM's efforts to get "Oriental medicine
diagnoses" included in the International Classification of Disease (ICD)
system. Chang asserts that, with success, "Oriental
medicine would find a new home shoulder-to-shoulder with Western medicine like
neurology, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc." The American Holistic Nurses Association announced that a new issue of their Holistic Nursing Standards, co-published the American Nurses Association,
has been released. This scope of practice and standards
of practice document serves as the key regarding holistic nursing. The
document was a major part of the AHNA's successful application to the
ANA to become a board certification.
The AHNA was successful in late 2006, giving "holism" it's most
significant perch in US medicine.Copies can be ordered through (800) 278-2462 Ext. 10
Dan Ullman, MPH, homeopathic writer and publicist
Leaders of the National Center for
Homeopathy, American Institute of Homeopathy and the North American Society of Homeopaths are actively promoting the October release of a new book by author/publicist Dana Ullman, MPH. Ullman's book is entitled The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose
Homeopathy. The homeopathic leaders see Ullman's book as a significant opportunity to organize media and visibility for homeopathy. The
book will be published by North Atlantic Books (a new
division of Random House), with a foreword by Dr. Peter Fisher, the physician
to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. There isn't a soul alive who won't
be surprised by the stories Ullman has gathered of celebrities - from sports
to arts to science and medicine to national and international politics
- who turned to homeopathy during their lives and commented positively on its
benefits. Comment:
Speakers on homeopathy routinely march out the use of homeopathy by
the British Royal Family. I recall a reference to the British Royal Family's use of homeopathy at a conference that roughly coincided
with the drama of Prince Charles' divorce from Lady Di. Someone
responded: "Are you sure you want to take credit for that?"
Humor aside, the list Ullman has assembled from diverse sources is
fascinating - Charles Darwin, John Wayne, Washington Irving, Jennifer
Anniston, C. Everett Koop, Arthur Conan Doyle and, and ... Hit the link
and take a look. The American Association of Naturopathic Physiciansannounced
in its August 2007 member newsletter that the association is "thrilled to
announce that the United States
Department of Labor is partnering with AANP to formally define
naturopathic
physician." The AANP is providing a list of physicians who will be
surveyed for information which will eventually be used by employers and
others as a definition of naturopathic physician through the Department's
Occupational
Information Networkprogram.
The August 2007 newsletter of the American Massage Therapy Association noted that the professional association won a Gold Healthcare Advertising Award from the Healthcare Marketing Reportfor its advertising campaign. The AMTA ads feature AMTA members and their clients and have appeared in national magazines including Alternative Medicine, Body+Soul, Health, Fitness, Shape, Redbook and Working Mother.
Janet Kahn, PhD, driving the anti-discriminaiton initiative
The first issue of a new quarterly newsletter from the Integrated Healthcare Policy Consortium
(IHPC) announced that the 501c4 organization is building"a coalition to
prevent discimination." The newsletter states that the goal is federal
activity "to ensure that federal healthcare programs do not
discriminate against licensed providers or their institutions." The
IHPC's argues that current policy tends to discriminate in favor of
certain provider types. The multi-disciplnary and multi-stakeholder
organization's goal is to ensure that the federal government "will no
longer be in the business of deciding which practitioners a patient may
see." The action will thereby "give Americans considerably more choice
about their health care." The newsletter notes that IHPC's first step
is likely to be to develop a concurrent resolution for the US House and
US Senate. IHPC's executive director is Janet Kahn, PhD.
An area of interest of theAmerican Holistic Medical Association is state legislation which helps protect integrative medical practices. I contacted AHMA board member Henri Rocca, MD, about the experience in Louisiana since a model bill
passed in 2002. That bill established an Integrative and Complementary
Medicine Advisory Committee to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
Reflected Rocca: "It has made it easier
to practice holism and integrated medicine and has given it 'the seal
of
approval' of the Board. Whenever a complaint is filed on the basis of
holism/standard of care issues, it is evaluated by peers." He notes
that there has only been one case filed, and that for deceptive billing. More on the AHMA involvement will be coming soon.
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The 
The American Holistic Nurses Association announced that a new issue of their 
The 
The August 2007 newsletter of the American Massage Therapy Association noted that the professional association won a 
An area of interest of the
