I have been waiting for months to write this post. I wanted to attend the April 8-10 CANference in Portland and learn what the most innovative organization in the acupuncture world has been planning before writing anything more about changes taking place in the acupuncture profession. I found out the CAN folks are building an [...]
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPCA) of 2010 – aka healthcare reform – included a provision to create a National Healthcare Workforce Commission (NHWC). The purpose is to create a body of expert representatives who are “who are nationally recognized in health care labor market analysis including workforce, health financing and economics, health [...]
The most overused political phrase – “it’s time for a change” – may be finally growing some teeth when it comes to private for-profit education. The Federal Department of Education has taken a hard line position with regards to reigning in private for-profit schools, such as ITT and the University of Phoenix, that have profited [...]
The healthcare reform vote is a victory for progressives but it is not the start of a radically changed healthcare system free of profit-driven stakeholders. One of the problems with the current system will become clear within a few years. I believe the sudden increase in the number of insured persons will demonstrate the severe [...]
At the risk of reinforcing the “us” versus “them” stereotype (i.e., Eastern versus Western medicine) I describe my recent interaction with two primary care physicians who support acupuncture in principle and action. Despite this, they were flummoxed with a proposal I made to them that LAcs (Licensed Acupuncturists) should work as primary care providers (PCPs) [...]
I attended the most recent meeting of the California Acupuncture Board (June 20 2008) where a new Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) college received temporary approval despite the college President’s statement that his occupational goal for his students was “training missionaries”. The school is owned by a religious organization that only provides classes in the [...]
I am always surprised when I encounter professionals unfamiliar with how their profession is governed. The common arrangement is to establish three organizations that represent the profession’s principal internal stakeholders: the association of colleges (CCAOM), the association of licensed professionals (AAAOM), and the accreditation body (ACAOM). The public interest is represented by the state (or [...]