Poll Results - April 2004

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Poll Results for the following Question:

Do you think the national associations do a good job of representing and/or supporting the profession's interests on a national level?

Results:

Yes
76.3%
No
23.7%

Total Respondents: 376

Comments:

Note: These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site.
They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling.

Anonymous
No I think there is far too little knowledge to the public about acupuncture.
.
I am currently receiving Acupuncture
for tinnitus.How amazed I was after
only one session,I was able to hear
the TV without using near full volume. I know the tinnitis is still there and ut takes more than one session to relieve it.
I felt much peace after my treatment
..and was very relaxed.My neck and shoulders which seem always in a knot were wonderfully soft.
I have used acupuncture more on my cats than myself..they seem to benefited greatly as I have.

Patricia Zentara
Lodi, CA USA

Anonymous
Yes Until we all know where the profession needs to go in 10, 15, or even 20 years, we will be constantly engaging in disputes over everything from scope of practice to educational requirements. The national orgs are apparently establishing a "visioning process" for the profession to set the stage for resolving our disputes, and moving the profession forward.

The national orgs should be applauded for its work in this area.

haidehk@comcast.net
No I think they need to work harder to make it known to health insurances and primary doctors. I had injury last year. My primary reffered me to so many different specialist for the pain and numbness that I had and they did all kind of tests but couldn't find
anything. Finally by friend recommendation I started
getting accupuncture treatments along with traction.
That's when I started feeling better and better every time. I only wish that my doctor had atleast talked about this as one of my options. Rather than giving me so many expensive pain killers and other anti inflammatory medicines for one year.

Anonymous
Yes In general, the National organizations have been working effectively as of late. In particular, they have been coordinating advocacy efforts at the state level when Chiropractors, Naturopathic Drs., etc.. have attempted to include acupuncture in their scopes of practice based on bogus standards of training. This has been VERY effective in states like New York (Podiatrists), Washington DC (Naturopaths), etc..etc...

Keep up the good work.

Anonymous
No What happened to support for the Hinchey Bill? Dropped. Are the national associations doing anything to get acupuncture covereed by Medicare/Medicaid?

Too much energy is spent on staving off chiros, naturopaths, the AMA and not enough spent getting acupuncture by a licensed acupuncturist covered. Until such time, all the other medical professions will continue to try and sometimes succeed in absorbing our healing modalities into their practices and where will we be? Left in the dust.

Licensed Acupucturists will leave the profession if they have don't have a means of supporting themselves.

We do not need to file insurance claims, but we need to ensure that our healing modalities are covered by licensed acupuncturists.

I do not see anything on a national level that is promoting acupuncture be covered by medicare.

On another note, if you want more from your national or state associations or boards, you had better support them financially, legislatively and become active. It always seems to rest on the shoulders of the few to do the work of the many, and it is the many that don't ever lift a finger to help but are always ready to complain.

uspoly@pacbell.net
No More work needs to be done to prevent the banning of herbal remedies for use by practitioners.

Anonymous
No Our national organizations were so busy fighting one
another that they neglected to protect the Oriental Medical
community from the real threat to our profession. The FDA
and AMA have just begun. Oriental Medicine is in for a
bumpy ride.
Where are our organizations attorneys? Why hasn't the
media been contacted on a national level? Why aren't our
leaders meeting with members of Congress and the
Senate? Why has this gone unchallenged? If the members
of the national organizations cannot perform their jobs they
should be quickly replaced with those who can. The
profession that we chose and were educated for is at stake.

Anonymous
Yes The national organizations have finally gotten their acts together to promote the interests of the profession. The AAOM, in particular, has been extremely effective as of late (the AAOM President's meeting with Tommy Thomson on the ephedra issue which was instrumental in getting an "exemption" from the ephedra ban for the OM profession) is a clear example).

While the national orgs are trying to promote unity within the profession, some of the state groups like the Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Associations as reflected in the problematic conduct of its Executive Director, Brian Fennen, have been attempting to destroy this unity. Mr.Fennen, in particular, has attacked every manner of individuals and groups with whom he disagrees, has actively "promoted" his attacks within the CA profession, and this has prevented the critically necessary healing and unity that is needed between the national organizations and the CA state professional organizations.

Anonymous
No Mr. Bauer's letter to be published in the June issue of AT and currently available on the website makes a plea for organizations to get together to work out issues in California which were put before the Little Hoover Commission. It is clear that summit meetings between leaders of disagreeing parties should be made a priority on the national level too. National organizations have made attempts to reconnect via the visioning task force, but this readers opinion is that little has been accomplished. What has become clear from all the visioning is that there exists no defining consensus of "our profession's interests on a national level." It is time for our national organizations to stop "attempting" and actually "do."

We have done a lot of disagreeing. There have been countless letters back and forth. The profession is confused and turned off by this lack of solid leadership. Division is the rule of the day. The first priority should be to create awareness and unity. Every conference should have significant resources put toward getting solutions to the forefront. These problems must be addressed by the national organizations, with clear objectives being stated and reached within the year. We need progress.

The dividing issues concerning our position in the healthcare system, scope of practice, and related conflicts regarding educational requirements have not been summarized for the profession. The organizations should provide opinions in a format similar to the document received before elections with proposals, pros, cons, arguments and rebuttles. In California, there is a majority supporting one side, while in other parts of the country, people are in opposition to what may be considered a Californian consensus.

Acupuncturists as a group are stressed-out, passive, and undercommitted to creating common ground on national issues. Practitioners lack the will to plan for the future. Organizations must determine how to fight the national professional issue of being overwhelmed and undercommitted. Any cheerleaders out there??

Anonymous
No No. In many states, especially in Illinois, chiropractors can practice acupuncture with only 100 hours of training. We still have a long way to go..

Anonymous
Yes After years of unproductive fighting, the national organizations have over the past few years finally gotten together in promoting the interest of the profession at the national level. The effective work on the ephedra issue, and seeking to develop a process for establishing a national vision for the profession are clear examples.

It's about time!