It's no secret advocacy and legislation are keys to advancing any health care profession; therefore, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's selection of Mina M. Larson as the next CEO is an encouraging sign for the AOM community.
Already a 16-year veteran at the NCCAOM, Ms. Larson is well-versed in the day-to-day of business affairs. However, she has also overseen operations, development, regulatory affairs, advocacy, media relations, communications and marketing, and has been instrumental in helping restructure the organization to better serve NCCAOM board-certified acupuncturists.
It's also important to note that prior to arriving at the NCCAOM, she served as a director to former California Governor Pete Wilson's Executive Office and Communications Office, and handled media relations for the California State Assembly.
Ms. Larson is a Certified Association Executive from the ASAE. She holds dual bachelor's degrees in journalism and government from California State University, Sacramento, a master's of science in non-profit association management from University of Maryland University College and an MBA from University of Maryland.
Afua Bromley, NCCAOM Board Chair, shared, "With her long history of association leadership, credentialing supervision, government relations and her desire to advance the AOM profession, we are looking forward to her inspiring leadership. We are fortunate to have someone of Mina Larson's caliber and experience to lead NCCAOM. She is well-respected by other AOM leaders. Our profession is at a critical moment and Mina's business expertise, political savvy and leadership skills make her an exciting leader for the next phase of the NCCAOM's development."
A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.
Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the patient.
The field of acupuncture in the U.S. continues to grow in visibility, patient demand and clinical effectiveness. Yet behind the curtain, many acupuncturists are quietly struggling to keep their doors open. While the profession is rooted in centuries of healing tradition, modern economic pressures – particularly those driven by insurance limitations, low reimbursement rates and job-market saturation – are making it increasingly difficult for licensed acupuncturists to thrive.
