In this issue
Slides / CD ROM for Presentations
AAMA
Newsletter
Serving the American Academy of Medical
Acupuncture
March 2000
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AAMA
welcomes news from Chapter presidents: Arizona (Martha M. Grout, MD),
Colorado (Sharon Montes, MD), Georgia (M. Truett Bridges, Jr., MD and
Henry Frysh, MD), Louisiana (Mark M. Walker, MD), Maryland (Nader Soliman,
MD), New Jersey (Robert Dennis, MD), Oregon (Robert Gross, MD), Pennsylvania
(John Kohler, MD) and Washington (Mark Tomski, MD).
Chapters also have their own (public-accessible)
page on AAMA’s website at Regional
Chapters page.
Arizona
President Martha M. Grout, MD, recently sent
a copy of the Chapter’s latest monthly newsletter, Az-AAMA (Volume 2,
No. 1), to Academy headquarters. The four-page piece features color
photographs, course offerings, other modalities and local updates, as
well as news and events about other Chapters and AAMA. In addition to
Dr. Grout, officers include Vice President John Porter, MD, and Secretary/Treasurer
Robert S. Mindell. For information on joining this Chapter, send an
e-mail to Dr. Grout (drmartha@worldnet.att.net).
Georgia
On Jan. 17, Drs. Henry Frysh, Ed Garbazc and
Truett Bridges met with representatives of the Medical Association of
Georgia to help MAG develop an official stance on licensing non-physician
acupuncturists in this state. Also in attendance were representatives
of proponent groups lobbying for a state law providing for 
the
licensure of non-physician acupuncturists. They have not yet heard from
MAG on its official position. The Georgia legislature is at the half-way
mark of its 2000 session. The law referenced above has been introduced
as a bill in the State House; no action had been taken as of presstime.
The January Georgia Association of Medical
Acupuncture meeting was cancelled due to an ice storm that paralyzed
Atlanta. It’s tentatively rescheduled for April 2, again with Charles
Shang, MD, of Emory University speaking on meridians and Qi Gong.
Louisiana
There will be a general meeting on March 21,
2000. Members will be contacted via e-mail. President Mark Walker, MD
(new e-mail address: dawgmw@mindspring.com)
is working with Louisiana State Medical Society regarding education
for state members and support on recognition of the UCLA course by the
state board.
Maryland
This Chapter will sponsor a seminar with Kiiko
Masumoto on March 18-19, 2000 at the BWI Holiday Inn Hotel in Baltimore.
She will discuss treatment of neurological, endocrinal and immunological
diseases using Japanese acupuncture. There is still room for a few more
applicants. Coming topics in the Chapter's regular meetings are treatment
of ADHD using Auricular Acupuncture and Herbs on April 18, 2000, and
the use of microcurrent electrical therapy in acupuncture on June 20,
2000. For information, call President Nader Soliman, MD (301/251-2335).
New
Jersey
On Jan. 20, this Chapter had its most successful
meeting to date: a presentation on Acupuncture Reimbursement & Compliance
for the Millennium. Dr. John Minor gave an extensive report on Medicare
rules on reimbursement for PENS treatments, and Dr. Noel C. Nowicki
presented an overview of insurance companies and reimbursement for acupuncture.
Elections held at this meeting resulted in the following slate of officers:
Dr. Robert Dennis, President; Dr. Nowicki, Secretary, and Dr. Allison
Averill, Treasurer. The next meeting will be in May.
Oregon
Gene Hong, MD, said this Chapter continues
to serve a vital role in giving a voice to physician acupuncturists,
offering a community and a forum to address needs. Areas of focus include:
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This Chapter will educate the MD/DO community about the existence of AAMA and the unique characteristics of physician acupuncturists. We need to let our colleagues know that we are as fluent in Western medicine as we are in acupuncture—that it’s not exotic or something to be feared but something that may help their patients. We will not discourage patients from seeking appropriate medical care. We practice acupuncture with the same level of ethics and morality that other physicians practice medicine.
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We will educate the educators and researchers, including schools, colleges, universities and medical schools. They need to know that we can provide education about acupuncture that is scientifically based in addition to the traditional Chinese theories. We can put acupuncture in the context of the modern scientific medical environment.
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This Chapter will educate politicians. They need to know that the practice of acupuncture by physicians should not be restricted through inappropriate legislation.
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We will educate insurance companies. They need to know that acupuncture is an effective and cost-saving therapy for their members and should be reimbursed appropriately.
Pennsylvania
On March 1, Pat Lariccia, MD, gave an excellent
lecture regarding his groundbreaking investigations on the central nervous
system responses to acupuncture at the quarterly Delaware Valley Chapter
meeting. Dr. Lariccia is also developing education and training programs
in complementary and alternative medicine for the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine. He is seeking practitioners who would like to participate
in an educator capacity. Please send a letter to Dr. Lariccia at Presbyterian
Medical Center, 39th and Market streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104 if you
would like to participate. He is also president of the New York Society
of Acupuncture for Physicians and Dentists.
Chapter officers prepared a comprehensive critique
to the Sunrise document submitted by nonphysician acupuncturists in
their attempt to have a freestanding State Board of Acupuncture with
no physician participation. We strongly objected to the creation of
a separate board because of the potential for divisiveness in acupuncture
and the potential for having official recognition of a type of modern
TCM that is not the style of acupuncture practiced by the majority of
physician and nonphysician practitioners.
Gov. Tom Ridge has mandated that any law that
would create a new bureaucracy must first submit a Sunrise report to
him. The official bill to change the acupuncture regulations was submitted
in the Pennsylvania State Senate on Feb. 7, 2000 with 31 sponsors.
The Delaware Valley Chapter is requesting that
any physician acupuncturist and AAMA member practicing in Pennsylvania
call Chapter President John P. Kohler, MD (610/664-6565). The local
Chapter would like to coordinate an effort for Pennsylvania physician
acupuncturists to speak to their elected representatives.
Delaware Valley and Maryland Chapters will
again sponsor an educational symposium by Anita Cignolini, MD, in June
2000 at Bryn Mawr College. Dr. Cignolini will continue with topics she
touched on last year regarding diet, exercise and sexuality in relation
to TCM. On this day (to be announced soon), the Delaware Valley Chapter
will have its quarterly meeting with a banquet of delicious Chinese
food following the educational symposium. CME credits are being applied
for.
Washington
Mark Tomski, MD, will be the new president
of this Chapter for a term of two years. He replaces founding President
James K. Rotchford, MD. He will take office at our next formal meeting
in March at the time of the Maurice Mussat, MD, conference. Between
now and then, we are experimenting with having a meeting online in an
MSN chat room. This will facilitate members from throughout the state
being in touch without having to travel in winter conditions.
The Mussat conference in Seattle still has
some places available. Friday evening March 17, Drs. Lowell Kobrin and
Rotchford will give a review of French Energetics. Then Saturday to
Sunday til 4 pm, Dr. Mussat will discuss the Curious Meridians. For
those of you interested in French Energetics, this is not a conference
to be missed.
For more information, contact the office of
Dr. Rotchford
(360/385-4843, kimber@olympus.net).
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At
presstime, AAMA President Bryan L. Frank was scheduled to make his web
host premiere in a “Chat with the Experts” cyber session on the evening
of March 1 at www.HealthAtoZ.com
on the Internet.
Plans called for Dr. Frank to discuss the benefits
of medical acupuncture, allowing online participants the opportunity
to ask him questions. The experience also teaches them how medical acupuncture
can serve as an adjunctive method of treating a variety of conditions.
Free to use, HealthAtoZ.com has been providing
families and individuals with personalized, interactive information
on health and medical issues—ranging from preventing birth defects to
weight training techniques—since 1995. Dr. Frank will be conducting
more chat sessions on the Internet. Watch AAMA’s newsletter and website
for details.
In January 2000, AAMA’s website had 27,898 visitors and 1,058 pages accessed. Those same numbers in December 1999 were 20,507 and 915, respectively.
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Prominent Canadian member Joseph Y. Wong, MD, part of the faculty at
AAMA’s 1999 Symposium in Chicago, has had his first book published,
A Manual of Neuro-Anatomical Acupuncture, Volume I: Musculo-Skeletal
Disorders (The Toronto Pain & Stress Clinic).
The 250-page book offers a scientific approach
to acupuncture, based on anatomy and physiology. More than 100 computer-designed
illustrations are featured. Written with simplicity and clarity, the
book costs $50 (US) and has easy-to-apply clinical practice.
Dr. Wong can be reached at 416/512-6754, fax
416/512-1885 (jomacyn@interlog.com).
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Physicians, please be aware that every three years after you are approved as a practice member (Associate or Full), you need to attend and participate in 50 CME/CEU hours or more of acupuncture-related training to maintain your AAMA practice membership status.
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