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AAMA
Newsletter
Serving the American Academy of Medical
Acupuncture
December 2001
Members earn Board Certification designation
These AAMA members
recently met all qualifications, passed the ABMA exam and had their applications
approved to be Board Certified in acupuncture. They bring the number of
physicians who have earned the designation DABMA (Diplomate, American
Board of Medical Acupuncture) to 180:
Lam A. Au, MD, Miami, FL; Ofelia Balagatas-Balmaseda, MD, Terre Haute,
IN; Brian Bouch, MD, Petaluma, CA; Claudia M. Cooke, MD, New York, NY;
Geoffrey P. Gustavsen, MD, Narberth, PA; Michael E. Hildebrand, MD, Mobile,
AL; Kelly Hsu, MD, Phoenix, AZ; Chellapandian Jeyaram, MD, Moorestown,
NJ; John P. Kohler, MD, Bala Cynwyd, PA; Bradley T. Lawrence, MD, Phoenix,
AZ; R. Paul Lee, DO, FAOO, Durango, CO; Monte H. Moore, MD, Meridian,
ID; Susan I. Moreno, MD, Haddon Heights, NJ; Charles A. Moss, MD, La Jolla,
CA; Emily Rayes, MD, Lexington, KY; Ronald Rosen, MD, Bend, OR; William
D. Rutenberg, MD, Long Grove, IL; Michael C. Sharp, MD, Chapel Hill, NC;
Alan M. Spira, MD, DTMH, Beverly Hills, CA; Divya Swaroop, MD, Ellicott City, MD; Canh Q. Tran, MD,
Washington, DC, and Joseph Y. Wong, MD, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I extend a heart-felt congratulations
and warm welcome to those who have become Board Certified," said
AAMA Secretary Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, DABMA, "Six months ago, only
83 were certified, and 160 were then pending or in process." He added
the fact that many physicians realize the value of Board Certification
in medical acupuncture is "utterly fantastic, upbeat and encouraging."
Seven programs have been approved as they met the basic requirements under
ABMA's program.
Dr. Nakazawa reminds DABMA physicians to review Page 8 of the Board Certification
Information Book to prepare for recertification. Evidence must be provided
of 150 hours of continuing acupuncture education during a 10-year period,
which is reported annually. Board certified physicians should report to
ABMA headquarters evidence of maintaining current certification status
each year before undertaking a recertification exam. Annual maintenance
fee is $50.
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AAMA hires PR firm for national campaign
AAMA has chosen
Tierney Communications to conduct its national strategic PR program, which
will include developing a strategy for media relations and membership
development.
AAMA President Marshall Sager, DO, DABMA, said Tierney is "equally
accomplished in media relations and government affairs, and understands
the healthcare climate." The firm plans to design and implement a
program to communicate the efficacy of medical acupuncture and to increase
volunteer participation.
The following are some media coverage tracked by Tierney:
oWilliam Rutenberg, MD, Elected to AAMA Board, Buffalo Grove Countryside,
Wilmette, IL, circulation 52,027, Sept. 27, 2001.
- Gene George Hong, MD, Medical acupuncture can be integrated with traditional cancer therapies to relieve patients of pain and discomfort often caused by the disease and its treatments, Columbus Times, Columbus, GA, circulation 20,000, Oct. 3, 2001.
- Bryan Frank, MD, Many experience the discomfort of seasonal allergies, and are looking at a modern version of an ancient therapy-medical acupuncture, Sunday Freeman, Kingston, NY, circulation 34,000, Oct. 7, 2001.
- Mark Merlin, DO, Dr. Merlin's practice mixes Western ideas of medicine with traditional Chinese acupuncture, Dunwoody-North Dekalb Neighbor, Marietta, GA, circulation 12,990, Oct. 10, 2001.
- Dr. Jonathan Ammen, Acupuncture is used to reduce the pain and nausea following some types of surgery, WTAE-TV Channel 4, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 15, 2001.
- John Kohler, MD, Acupuncturists expect the insurance industry will be more open to acupuncture as a treatment in the future, Tribune-Review, Greenburg, PA, circulation 81,695, Oct. 15, 2001.
- Marshall Sager, DO, Acupuncture can help the body's internal organs correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption and energy production activities, Queens Courier, Bayside, NY, circulation 100,000, Oct. 17, 2001.
- James Leonard, MD, Appointed to AAMA's CME Committee, Business Courier, Cincinnati, OH, circulation 13,000, Oct. 19, 2001.
- The Academy was mentioned in an article about how acupuncture has gained acceptance by some Western doctors as an alternative treatment for chronic pain and other medical conditions, Nelson County Arena, Fordville, ND, circulation 776, Oct. 19, 2001.
- AAMA Executive Administrator James Dowden, NIH says acupuncture results are promising; more insurance companies are willing to pay for treatment, News-Journal, Daytona Beach, FL, circulation 101,373, Oct. 22, 2001.
- Joseph Helms, MD, was cited in an article about training 5,000 integrative physicians through the UCLA program. The Integrative Medicine Consult, November 2001, Volume 3, No. 11, www.onemedicine.com.
- An online article about medical acupuncture helping relieve Fibromyalgia symptoms quoted a Brazilian physician at the 65th Annual Meeting of American College of Rheumatology in San Francisco. Reuters Medical News for the Professional, November 2001, www.reuters.com.
- Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture, which AAMA hosted in Las Vegas in October 2000, received a glowing writeup with photos in Acupuncture Canada, the semi-annual newsletter of Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute. The article was written by AFCI Executive President Linda Rapson, MD, who is putting on several workshops for HMI.
Headquartered in Philadelphia,
Tierney is a full-service strategic communications agency with billings
of more than $230 million and 210 employees. For more, visit: www.tierneyagency.com.
If you've been in the news, please tell us ( fax 323/937-0959).
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Experienced medical acupuncturist/general internist sought to join same to share practice. Alternating monthly block schedule. Busy outpatient practice is two-thirds medical and one-third acupuncture (averaging 100 acupuncture treatments/month). Computer/keyboard skills needed. Work less, enjoy real time off in Virginia Beach, VA. Fax resume: 757/481-7477.
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