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President outlines how Academy is taking a good, hard look at the future
By Niroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA
President, AAMA
After one year as your Academy president, I want to update you on the status of the Academy. This year marked our 20th annual Symposium and our 21st year as an organization. We have been spectacularly successful in fostering the profession of medical acupuncture over the years. Our accomplishments: independent CME accreditation, establishing the ABMA, our internationally recognized annual Symposium, our participation with ICMART and the Pan–Pacific Forum, our Web services for members and the public, and the expansion of our quarterly Journal have been in some ways successes out of proportion to our membership size.
In my inaugural speech in 2007, I pledged to work in three areas to develop and improve the Academy's operations: 1) Expand educational offerings, 2) Maintain and grow our membership, and 3) Work to increase the insurance reimbursement for physicians practicing acupuncture.
The Educational initiative was supported by a great and hard working Symposium Committee, led by Dr. Bob Gross. We have just concluded our 20th annual Symposium. We had international guests, enthusiastic participation and our usual opportunities for professional camaraderie. Be sure to see the Symposium report in this newsletter. We also have had a good response to our decision to record our exam review course so that we can make it available on DVD to members. We are now filming other offerings to be made available in coming months including the recent Audette Workshop and others.
Financial Concerns
The AAMA Board members and I have wrestled with both the issues of serving and growing the membership, and finding an appropriate way to foster better relations with the insurance industry. We know that, if those new to acupuncture cannot make adequate income from their acupuncture endeavors, they will drop the specialty and cease to be AAMA members. Unfortunately, the initial proposals considered by the Board during last summer and fall to address this issue including the potential hiring of practice management specialists and legal consultants for a major long-term project, led us to face the reality of our organizational finances.
The Baltimore Symposium in 2007 resulted in a financial shortfall. We also faced operating losses in 2006 and 2007. We felt this was due in part to a trend of declining membership and partly due to increased expenses for managing the multiple programs and projects of the Academy. While the Academy is solvent and has over a year of operating fund reserves, we had to face up to the reality of an uncertain financial future. The Board and I were moved to examine the nature and priorities for the services that we receive from Executive Administrator James Dowden's association management company. It seemed wise to try to reduce or redirect our operating budget and to make sure we had a mutually productive relationship.
Our most recent Membership Report and Financial Statements are available in the members' portion of the AAMA website for your review.
Board Changes
As we addressed these intertwined issues, some serious dissention arose among the Board members regarding the action steps we needed to take with respect to managing our association affairs. I, as your president, after much thought, decided that we needed to focus on the imminent 2008 annual Symposium, our premiere educational and fund-raising event, and address the organizational issues afterwards. This led to two senior Board members resigning in the months immediately prior to the Symposium.
At this delicate time when I needed more support from the remaining Board members, the usual nominating committee process for bringing new talent to the board did not produce desirable candidates. I realized that unless we increased our productive activities in support of each other, the organization would eventually falter. At the same time, without active volunteer support for our programs, Jim Dowden's staff was becoming overburdened, resulting in cost increases and further burdens on our financial resources.
This situation came to the attention of our Founders, Drs. Helms, Reed and McDaniels, as Dr. McDaniels was preparing to give the annual JM Helms lecture at the Symposium.
After careful discussions with James Dowden and review of our organizational bylaws, I decided to accept the Founders' offer to assist the Board through this transition period. During the Symposium, the Board voted to postpone the elections until the end of the calendar year, giving us a chance to recruit strong and energetic input and guidance from the membership. I also accepted three other Board members' resignations. It was always my feeling that Founders could be depended upon to assist us in times of need on a short-term basis, and they have now been appointed to fill the Board vacancies during the transition period this calendar year.
Dr. Allen McDaniels gave a very inspirational speech for the Founder's lecture at the Symposium. At the subsequent members' meeting, Joe Helms gave an impassioned plea for the current members to recreate some of the original AAMA spirit and re-kindle the energies of the organization to start the next 20 years. Dr. Reed conducted a short member feedback exercise to help the Board with its immediate priorities and invited the members to participate in a vision, mission and planning meeting this summer.
On Sunday morning, more than 40 members met in small groups to volunteer their talents for action steps in six areas of Academy activities: Education, Socio-economics and Reimbursement, Credentialing and Certification, Communication and Publicity, Organizational support and Membership, and the summer retreat planning group. See article on Symposium for a list of Board members.
Membership Summit Retreat
At our Board meeting on the Sunday of the Symposium, we approved Dr. Reed and his committee to organize the Membership Summit Retreat to be held August 21-24, 2008 in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX. See article about the retreat in this issue. We appointed Dr. Kevin Barry to the Board to assist us in setting up a financial subcommittee to put our budget and contractual arrangements on a sound basis for future planning, and we established a new legal and insurance committee under Dr. Robert Schulman, to make a concrete proposal for creating a reimbursement advocacy resource for our members. Dr. Nader Soliman, one of our past presidents, has agreed to chair the Nominating Committee and to revise its process in concert with the membership's participation in the planning meeting this August.
I am very pleased with the response of Symposium attendees who expressed interest in signing up to participate in leadership and support roles in the coming year. We will need a similar response from the rest of the membership. Please look for the announcement regarding participation opportunities in the Newsletter, as well as the details of the August planning meeting that is open to all interested members.
It is my hope that the membership appreciates our conclusion that we needed to take steps to rekindle the spirit and vitality of the Academy and to move in this direction to initiate a new start and to attract more willing, energetic and unselfish members to ensure that the Academy is really serving our professional needs. We encourage you to step up and take part.....join a committee, attend the Summit in August, take on some role with the Academy to help assure it will serve our needs over the next 20 years.
Personally, I am a 100% medical acupuncture practitioner since 1995 and have always participated in AAMA activities, which began with my volunteering on the Membership Committee. I am perhaps the only one ever chosen by the membership for the position of vice president. I had your confidence then, and I hope I have it now because I will continue to devote all my power for the improvement of AAMA.
Let's move on together towards a future we will all contribute to, create, and be proud of. Help us put Medical Acupuncture on the Medical Map nationally and internationally.
Click here for the latest AAMA Financial Report (with Balance Sheet and Income Statement), as well as the Membership Report by Executive Administrator James Dowden.
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Membership Summit Retreat being planned in August to map AAMA's future
By John C. Reed, MD
Member, AAMA Board of Directors
At the recent Annual Symposium, which marked our 20th Anniversary as an organization, the AAMA Board of Directors initiated a renewal process for the Academy. We are inviting the grass roots membership to participate in this process by joining in a Membership Summit Retreat this August. We will consider the following central question:
Given the rapidly changing world of health care and medical acupuncture now and over the next decade, how do we map a future of professional vision, rekindled camaraderie and effective adaptation to change through the Academy?
The Membership Summit Retreat will be held at the Hyatt Regency at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on August 21-24, 2008 (Thursday night through Sunday morning). Member participation will be critical in enabling the refocusing of the vision, mission, objectives and operating processes of the Academy.
It has been 10 years since the last strategic plan was created by the Board. The Board recognizes that the current health care environment creates challenges for specialty medical membership organizations, and the complexity of our role in advocating and supporting medical acupuncture has sometimes created difficulties in organizational management. The need to address the future of the Academy now requires input from a broadly representative base of the membership.
Outside Consultant
The Board has hired a professional facilitation team that has a proven planning process for addressing complex situations. The Membership Summit Retreat will fully engage participants' viewpoints and insights to lead us to create working teams and a concrete implementation program for the next few years.
Whether you are a new member in the Academy, an "old guard" ABMA member or Fellow, a currently committed volunteer or a potential leader for our emerging programs in the years ahead, we seek your input and energy in this process. Members who attend this retreat will have a key role in guiding the organization to an even more successful future. Please join your colleagues in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Plan of Attack
The program will begin with a dinner meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21. We will work in large and small groups during the day on Friday and Saturday. After a celebrative closing meal Saturday evening, there will be opportunities for debriefing and implementation group breakfasts early Sunday morning. We are planning an off-site social activity evening Friday night. Members who attend will be responsible for transportation costs and the three nights in the hotel. The Academy will host all scheduled group meals during the program.
Please book your flights and hotel rooms as soon as possible. To book at room at the Hyatt Regency DFW, call 972/453-1234 and ask for the AAMA specially discounted room rate of $139 night (single/double). That rate is only good until July 22 or when the Academy's rooms sell out – whichever comes first.
To help with our planning for attendance, please check the appropriate box below and fax back to the Academy office at 323/937-0959 by June 27th:
YES, I want to support the Academy and am definitely planning to attend
Tell me more! I am not sure about attending, so please have
someone call me to help me decide.
Sorry, I am not able to attend this session. Keep me informed about the issues.
NamePhone:E-mail:
We hope to see you in Dallas-Fort Worth this August for your input.
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20th Annual Symposium for Medical Acupuncture draws 300 to Washington, DC
AAMA's 20th Annual Symposium for Medical Acupuncture in Washington, DC was an astounding success enjoyed by close to 300 people, thanks to Chair Robert J. Gross, MD, Symposium Program Committee, Pre-Symposium Chair Thomas Burgoon, MD, and many more members who planned an exciting program in April.
Among the Faculty who participated were Brian Berman, MD; Frank Butler, LAc; Anita Cignolini, MD; Bryan Frank, MD, FAAMA; Anaflavia O. Freire, MD; Robert Gross, MD, DABMA; Richard Hammerschlag, PhD; Eugene Hong, MD, DABMA; Li Chun Huang of China; Francisco Lozano, MD, of Mexico; Allen McDaniels, MD, FAAMA; Chuck Moss, MD, FAAMA; Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA; Richard Niemtzow, MD; Thomas Ots, MD, of Austria and Jiang Zhu of China.
More than 130 physicians kicked off the event by attending four informative Pre-Symposium Workshops, put together by Dr. Burgoon and led by an impressive Faculty of Drs. Thomas Ots of Gratz, Austria; Francisco Lozano of Mexico; and Li Chun Huang of China. New this year was the Pre-Symposium Workshop, "HMI Tuneup," where Dr. Joseph Helms and HMI senior preceptors offered intensive review of important acupuncture points used daily to manage many pain and functional problems.
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The 2008 Symposium was dedicated to bringing medical acupuncturists clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic information critical to the vital task of improving patient care. There was also an exhibit area with two dozen vendors with products and services related to medical acupuncture.
Steven KH Aung, MD, led participants in Qi Gong with Aung early morning exercises. There was also an elegant group Dinner and Reception, where Drs. Walburg Maric-Oehler, Joseph Helms, John Reed, Allen McDaniels and Executive Administrator C. James Dowden were honored for their contributions to AAMA and the Symposium. The Academy granted the Symposium a maximum of 22 AMA PRA Category 1 credits and 7.5 for Pre-Symposium. New this year, CME certificates were mailed to participants who turned in their completed evaluation form.
"Frank Butler was excellent – a terrific teacher with good info," commented William D. Rutenberg, MD, FAAMA. "Thanks, everyone, for all your hard work in putting the symposium together. Well done."
Board of Directors
AAMA leadership now includes: President Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA, and Board of Directors Drs. Kevin Barry, Tapan K. Chaudhuri, Joseph Helms, Gene Hong, Allen McDaniels, Richard Niemtzow, John C. Reed, Robert Schulman and Elizabeth H. Sebestyen.
Acupuncture Research Papers
Winners of the annual Acupuncture Research Paper competition were:
First Place:
"The Beneficial Effect of Acupuncture in Trigeminal Neuralgia"
By Tapan Chaudhuri, MD
This paper was presented in a 30-minute Plenary session. The author was awarded $1,500, Symposium registration, travel reimbursed up to $500, and three night's hotel lodging for the presenting author.
Second Place:
"The Effect of Acupuncture Treatment on Spastic States of Stroke Patients"
By Liu Cun Zhi, Zhao Jian Guo, Cao Chen Hong, Han Bao Jie, Zhang Jie, Yu Tao, Wang Xu Hui, Zhao Hong and Xu Zhen Hua
The author was awarded $750, Symposium Registration, travel reimbursed up to $500
Third Place:
"Myofascial Meridians as Anatomical Evidence of Acupuncture Channels"
By Yang Fang, Ma Liangxiao, Zhu Jiang, He Zhiping, Chen Yan and Xu Hongyan
The author was awarded $350 and Symposium Registration
Poster Presentations
Winners of the annual Poster Presentation awards were:
First Place:
"Electroacupuncture and Moxibustion Attenuate the Progression of Renal Disease in 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats"
By Josne Carla Paterno, Iria Visona, Marcello Fabiano Franco, Nestor Schor, Anaflavia Oliveira Freire and Vincente de Paulo Castro Teixeira
Awarded $750
Second Place:
"Effects of Acupuncture on Terminal Cancer Patients in Home Care Settings"
By Hidenori Takahashi
Awarded $500
Third Place:
"Use of an Emergency Acupuncture Point in CPR"
By Louise Lu, MD, DABMA
Awarded $250
To help members struggling financially, Dr. Gene Hong put together a session called, Approaches for a Financially Successful Medical Acupuncture Practice. The format was a panel presentation, followed by a discussion with the audience. Each panel member was an AAMA member who has been in practice for several years and has been able to create a successful practice. See related article in this newsletter for more.
Click here for photos taken by Dr. Gross at Symposium.
Symposium 2008 Material
The Syllabus for the 2008 Symposium and Pre-Symposiums are available for purchase. Contact AAMA headquarters at 323/937-5514. Also, watch for details coming soon on audio tapes of Symposium 2008 for purchase.
The Academy has just firmed up details on the 2009 Symposium, which will be April 3-5, 2009 at the Renaissance Worthington in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Academy wants to help members run financially successful acupuncture practices
A Practice Management Workshop entitled, "Approaches for a Financially Successful Acupuncture Practice," took place on Friday evening, April 11 at the AAMA Symposium in Washington, DC. Each panelist gave a brief overview of their practice and historical information about themselves, some pearls of advice from their own experiences in practice, and then questions were fielded from the audience.
The workshop was moderated by Gene Hong, MD, DABMA, and included the following panelists: Marshall Sager, DO, FAAMA; Hiroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA; Yuan-Chi Lin, MD, FAAMA, and Peter Hanfileti, MD, DABMA.
By the numbers in attendance, it was clear that the financial success of one's acupuncture practice is an important issue for Academy members, and it should receive more focus and attention. Questions brought up during the workshop revolved mostly around the topic of insurance reimbursement and coding issues. John Reed, MD, also contributed to this discussion with his experience in the insurance industry.
In an effort to continue to foster successful acupuncture practices among the membership, a follow-up program to this workshop is being set up by Drs. Hanfileti and Hong. Its purpose will be to communicate with those physicians who would like more information on the business and financial aspects of acupuncture practice.
Academy members who are interested in receiving periodic updates, access to useful resources and specific information relevant to physician acupuncturists in clinical practice can send an e-mail to Dr. Hanfileti at pshanfileti@gmail.com.
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More details available on Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum in Canada
Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute (AFCI) recently published a brochure with hotel information and more details on the Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum 2008, to be held Oct. 19-24, 2008 in Toronto, Canada.
Early bird registration is available until Aug. 15 for PPMAF 2008: Four Countries Get to the Point, which will be held in the Novotel Toronto North York, 3 Park Home Ave in North York, Ontario. A block of rooms has been reserved for PPMAF delegates. It will be available until Sept. 17 or when rooms are taken, whichever comes first. Be sure and mention the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute when registering to get the specially discounted rate.
This event is held every four years, with hosts rotating between AAMA, AFCI, the Australian Medical Acupuncture College and the Medical Acupuncture Society of New Zealand. Faculty will be members of those four organizations. The last Forum was held in New Zealand in 2004.
A Qi Gong Retreat will be offered Oct. 17-18. Steven KH Aung, CM, MD, FAAFP, will offer "Gong with Aung: Aung Medical Qi Gong Early Morning Spiritual Exercise" daily. An Opening Reception will be held the evening of Oct. 19. The Conference will be Oct. 20-21, 23-24, with an optional excursion to Niagara Falls on Oct. 22 and a Gala Dinner on Oct. 23. Then a special post-PPMAF Workshop will be held on Oct. 25.
There are many wonderful local attractions, theatre, multi-cultural venues and restaurants in Toronto, and AFCI will make it easy for attendees to get to them.
As always, each country will be responsible for organizing a six-hour day of plenary lectures by their speakers. This year, they are considering mixing up the presentations, rather than having each country on a separate day.
A moderately priced hotel is being finalized for the Forum. The medium-size venue is on the main subway line. The maximum number of attendees will be 200, so AAMA members should know reservations will be first come, first served. AFCI is hoping for at least 15-20 attendees from Australia and New Zealand, 100 Canadians and many Americans.
Lining up Entertainment
AFCI needs people from each country to form their own "Thursday Night Gala Dinner Entertainment Committee" (aka "The Keeping up with the Kiwis Committee"). This is a serious task. Robin Kelly, Tim Ewer and the other Kiwis have been carrying this load since 1988. AFCI says it's time to get some talented Aussies, Canucks and Yanks up there singing. AFCI added that since Americans gave the Broadway musical to the world, they should be able to come up with some clever song and dance routines to celebrate this four-year reunion. AFCI is asking each country to create a 10-20 minute original skit or musical presentation. If they are really bad, they can be five minutes long.
A brochure with more information was recently printed and is being distributed. Plus, this fall, host AFCI (www.afcinstitute.com) will launch an interactive website that will feature more information and registration for the Forum.
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Members earn DABMA certification
The following AAMA members recently met the stringent requirements of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture (ABMA) and have achieved Board Certification in medical acupuncture. They have earned the designation DABMA (Diplomate, American Board of Medical Acupuncture):
Gary Carlson, MD, of Northfield, MN; Frederick B. Cowen, MD, of Israel; Anita Chawla, MD, of Takoma Park, MD; Stephen Flynn, MD, of Cleveland, OH; Lalitha Hansch, MD, of Bridgewater, NJ; Joseph T. Hayes, DO, of Norristown, PA; Ming Chang Isinhue, MD, of Claremont, CA; Sharon Norling, MD, of Camarillo, CA; Sharon Poon, MD, of Las Vegas, NV; Brian J. Jones, DO (Mil), and Ting Bao, MD, of Baltimore, MD.
The Academy has posted a list online of members who are Board Certified. Diplomates (DABMA) are listed alphabetically by last name, along with their location, and dates of expiration.
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Medical Acupuncture Research News
The following is a review of reported research results and related news recently announced or released through Internet outlets:
- The abstract, "Exercise and Manual Auricular Acupuncture: A Pilot Assessor-Blind Randomised Controlled Trial," was recently published in the British Medical Acupuncture Journal (2008 March 6; 9:31). This study was designed to test the feasibility of an assessor-blind randomized controlled trial that assess the effects on clinical outcomes and exercise adherence of adding manual auricular acupuncture to a personalized and supervised exercise program for chronic low back pain (CLBP). Results of this study investigating the adjuvant effects of auricular acupuncture to exercise in managing CLBP will be used to inform the design of a future multi-centre randomized controlled trial. Click here for more.
- Ten years ago, an NIH Consensus Development Conference assessed acupuncture's effectiveness in treating various diseases and conditions. What has happened in the field of acupuncture research since that conference and its later report (called a consensus statement), as well as what areas will be important in future research, were topics addressed at a special annual meeting of the Society for Acupuncture Research. "The Status and Future of Acupuncture Research: 10 Years Post-NIH Consensus Conference" was recently co-sponsored by the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine provided grant support. The conference drew more than 300 practitioners, scientists, students and other attendees from eight countries, who discussed acupuncture research in both general and disorder-specific contexts. Click here for more.
- The abstract, "Intramuscular and Periosteal Acupuncture for Anxiety and Sleep Quality in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain -- An Evaluator Blind, Controlled Study," was published in the journal, Acupuncture Medicine, (2007 Dec;25(4):148-57). Periosteal acupuncture seems clinically to have a stronger effect on pain than standard intramuscular acupuncture. The aim of this study was to compare their relative effectiveness on promoting psychological functioning and quality of sleep. Results showed there were no significant differences between the acupuncture groups, nor between the acupuncture and control groups during the treatment period. One month after treatment, the level of anxiety was lower in both acupuncture groups compared with the control group. Click here for more.
- A limited form of acupuncture, called Battlefield Acupuncture, was introduced to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center doctors in Germany, who applied the procedure to war-wounded servicemembers and local patients for pain relief. Participants in the study this spring reported pain reduction up to 75%. Col. Richard Niemtzow, MD, developed and named the Battlefield Acupuncture technique in 2001. It is a departure from classical Chinese, French and German ear acupuncture. He said he realized its possible military value, and the events of the World Trade Center influenced him to name it Battlefield Acupuncture. Click here for more.
- The abstract, "Clinical Study on Acupuncture Treatment of Dysphasia in 80 Hypophrenia Children," was published in Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science. The study sought to investigate the curative effect of acupuncture on dysphasia in 160 hypophrenia children. Results showed that acupuncture significantly raises TIQ, VIQ and PIQ in the sick children, while language training only raises VIQ to some degree. Therefore, acupuncture in cooperation with language training is an effective way to treat this disease. Click here for more.
- The abstract, "Acupuncture for Pain and Dysfunction after Neck Dissection: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial," was released at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in June. Seventy patients took part in a random study by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center researchers, in New York, at least three months after they underwent cancer surgery and radiation treatment. Of the patients who received four acupuncture sessions over four weeks, 39% reported less pain and greater mobility, compared to only seven percent of the group that received usual care. Results showed that acupuncture provides significant pain relief for patients after head or neck cancer surgery. Click here for more.
Please send information you find on research involving the effectiveness of medical acupuncture to bdortberg@aol.com.
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AAMA Member News
ICMART XIII World Congress 2008, the 25th Anniversary of the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART), Medical Acupuncture -- Science and Techniques" Bridge between East-West, in conjunction with the Hungarian Medical Acupuncture Association 23rd National Congress, will be held Oct. 10-12, 2008 in Hilton Budapest, Hungary. Click here for details.
The Delaware General Assembly is entering the home stretch, as it returned to work June 2 and will adjourn the 2008 legislative session June 30. The following are key issues the Medical Society of Delaware is following during this session. HB377 provides for licensing of non-physician professional acupuncturists. This bill allows for regulation of acupuncturists. Jeff Meyers, MD, has represented the Society at several meetings held on this bill. Dr. Meyers and MSD member Vincent Lobo, DO, representing the Board of Medical Practice, among others, worked to get the bill revised to increase the amount of training required for licensure and to ensure patient safety. The bill was passed by the House and awaits consideration by the Senate. It has been moved out of Committee and now goes before the Senate.
The Congreso Internacional de Acupunctura (CIA) will be held Nov. 21-23, 2008 at the Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar in Dorado, Puerto Rico. Some topics include Acupuncture and Functional Disorders, Finessing the Treatment of Pain, Non-Invasive Quick Diagnosis & Safe, Effective Treatment of Intractable Medical Problems and more. Drs. Steven KH Aung, Francois Beyens and many more are scheduled. Early bird registration is available until Aug. 15. Click here for details.
Editor in Chief Dr. Richard Niemtzow of the journal, Medical Acupuncture, is seeking volunteer reviewers to review manuscripts. Reviewers will access manuscripts online. Reviews must be completed and returned within one business week. Reviewers successfully completing a series of timely, high-quality reviews may be invited to join the Editorial Board (at the discretion of the editor in chief). Please send brief qualifications and contact information to n5ev@aol.com and copy rosalynr@aol.com.
A report published by the Centers for Disease Control indicated that more than eight million Americans use acupuncture to treat different ailments.
The new auricular therapy textbook by Nader Soliman, MD, "Soliman's Auricular Therapy Textbook," is now available. The book's foreword is written by Joseph Helms, MD. This textbook is considered one of the finest ever written about auricular therapy and is an essential reference for those who practice the various forms of auricular therapy. The textbook is more than 300 pages and contains a large number of colorful auricular diagrams. It addresses the basics of the auricular microsystem and provides clear and simple methods for evidence-based auricular treatment of medical problems including pain, addiction, emotional disorders, and learning disabilities among others. For more information, visit www.alternativemedicineseminars.com.
The next Board Certification Exam has been scheduled for Dec. 6, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency DFW in Dallas, TX. Click here for more on this process.
ICMART 2009 International Congress in Medical Acupuncture will be held at the Grand Palace Hotel in Thessaloniki, Greece May 29-31, 2009. Click here for details.
William D. Rutenberg, MD, FAAMA, recently hosted Drs. Brian Berman and Laurence Udoff on his radio program. They spoke about acupuncture and boosting IVF success. An archive of the programs can be found by registering at www.reachmd.com.
The Third International Congress for Biological Laser Therapy and Acupuncture will be held June 27-29 at the University of Gottingen in Germany. The new methods, laserneedle acupuncture and intravenous laser blood irradiation will be reviewed by experts in the biological lasertherapy. Click here for details.
Please send news items and photos to bdortberg@aol.com.
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AAMA Chapter News
Arizona
Arizona Chapter meetings are held at 9 am on the second Saturday of each month at Dr. Martha Grout's office at 9328 E. Raintree Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. For more details, call 480/240-2600 or e-mail drmartha@crossroadsclinic.net. There are monthly speakers on topics related to medical acupuncture, as well as Chinese and Functional/Integrative medicine. E-mail Rebecca Wilks, MD, at info@drwilks.com to get on the e-mail list for meeting announcements.
California
Chapter officers are working hard to come up with innovative ideas for CME credits. They are continuing their membership drive to make the Chapter stronger. Academy members interested in joining the California Chapter are encouraged to contact President Haleh Sheikholeslami, MD, at calchapaama@hotmail.com.
Georgia
The Georgia Chapter of Medical Acupuncture had a wonderful turnout for their 2008 seminar.  GAMA President Anna C. Kelly and 50+ participants welcomed Dr. Richard Tan (shown here with Dr. Kelly) for a seminar entitled, "Ancient Wisdom of the Ba Gua: The Balance Method of Acupuncture and Global Treatments for Internal Disorders." The two-day seminar was well received. Members are looking forward to hosting a seminar with Dr. Tan again in the future. For information regarding membership and seminars, feel free to email GAMA at georgiaacupuncturists@yahoo.com.
Maryland
Stephen Burns, MD, has taken over as president of the Maryland Society of Medical Acupuncture. In turning over the reins, Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, said it has been a pleasure to serve the local community and to establish a nice relationship with the chapter in setting up lectures and workshops. Dr. Niemtzow noted that stepping down will free up time for him to work on an acupuncture book. Officers are: Secretary Joan Jordman, MD; Treasurer Iris Davis, MD, and Administrator Becky Gaskell.
This spring, MSMA hosted June Morfe, who spoke on insurance reimbursement. Future activities will include an insurance workshop, an auriculotherapy workshop with Dr. Jim Shore and another with Dr. Nader Soliman.
MSMA offers educational programs and wants to increase participation. Treat yourself to a nice evening. It is free, and members whose dues are paid receive a nice free meal. The lecture is on the Chapter. Contact Dr. Burns at stephen.burns@andrews.af.mil to join MSMA.
New York
The New York Chapter is seeking new members who are interested in leadership positions and willing to organize activities. This is a great opportunity to get involved locally with the Academy. They need members' active involvement to continue to expand activities. For more information, contact Chapter President Bruce R. Gilbert, MD, PhD (bruce.gilbert@verizon.net, 516/487-2700).
Ohio
The Ohio Chapter hosted an excellent presentation entitled, Helms Has Gone Curious, at the Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine in spring. More than 40 physician acupuncturists attended from throughout the United States, with the Midwest represented most prominently. Chapter President Liz Woolford, MD, said they were all well pleased with the immediate application of Dr. Joseph Helms' teaching to their practices. The course was interactive. Each day began with Qi Gong and working with participants' own energy fields. Many French Pearls were passed along, and they look forward to using them for the benefit of their patients.
 
Dr. Joseph Helms, left, leads interactive course for AAMA Ohio Chapter.
Click here for an up-to-date listing of AAMA Regional Chapter officers, their contact information, Websites and members. Think about joining a Chapter to learn more about medical acupuncture specific to your area. And if there's not a Chapter in your region, please consider forming one by contacting Chapter Liaison Dr. Bruce Gilbert (bruce.gilbert@verizon.net). Chapters provide fellowship, professional camaraderie, education and curbside consults.
Chapter representatives, please send your news and photos for the AAMA Newsletter via e-mail to bdortberg@aol.com.
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Employment Opportunities
Cannot handle the volume! Medical acupuncture practice in Tampa, FL looking to hire or partner with another phyician acupuncturist. This practice is in a relaxing environment and either part or full-time position is an option. Please e-mail anne_hermann_2000@yahoo.com or call 813/484-4862 to learn more.
List employment opportunities here free by sending them to Barton Ortberg (bdortberg@aol.com).
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