February 2008 Newsletter Table of Contents   President's Comments   Register for Symposium by Feb. 20   Pre-Symposium Workshops   'Hmi Tune-Up'   Run a Successful Practice   Symposium Feedback Sought   Poster Deadline Extended   Acupuncture Research Paper   Get Involved With AAMA   Acupuncture Internships   New AAMA Ear Acupuncture Workshop   Kiiko Matsumoto Workshop   Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum   Review Course on DVD   Board Certification Earned   Re-Certification Reminder   Medical Acupuncture Research   Member News   Chapter News   Classified Ads  Print Version

Academy president: '20th Anniversary Symposium will be most exciting one yet'

By Niroshi Nakazawa, MD, FAAMA
President, AAMA

The Academy's 2008 Symposium is just around the corner, April 10-13. This year marks the 20th Anniversary for AAMA. We must congratulate ourselves as "we have come a long way," and our gathering at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC will be the most exciting one yet.
 
Thanks to Drs. Bob Gross and Tom Burgoon's leadership, we will glean some of the most outstanding speakers around the world, nationally and internationally for this Symposium.
 
The Second Joseph M. Helms Foundation Lecture Series is one of the features and will be delivered by Allen McDaniels, MD, FAAMA. His topic is entitled, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Academy: Some of What I Learned as a Founder." This will be very intriguing, and we will all learn a lot of the history of AAMA, as well as what it looked like at that time (i.e., those strong "Samurais" of 20 years ago).
 
We will also have a special participation by preceptors from the Helms Medical Institute at the Pre-Symposium. This workshop will be called "HMI Tune-Up," a refresher course for older attendees, as well as a "heads up" for our newest attendees. It will be stimulating, and I expect a good turn out for this program. See article on the Pre-Symposium workshops in this issue.
 
For practicing medical acupuncturists, Dr. Gene Hong, a member of AAMA's Board of Directors, has organized a special session entitled, Approaches for a Financially Successful Medical Acupuncture Practice. This is one of the areas I promised to improve for the membership during my inaugural address a year ago. Participants on the panel will outline "How to Bill and Collect" in your medical acupuncture practice. A Q&A session will follow so that everyone goes home with a newer prospective on their real world practice while obtaining maximum reimbursement after each treatment.
 
I'd like to elaborate on various topics, but there would be no end, as there's no end to the valuable data you're going to receive at the Symposium. As I stated before, this is our party, our educational program and our medical acupuncture future. We will be enlightened together, so let's make it a great celebration. This will be an exciting AAMA Symposium.
 
Lastly, I wish to mention that fundraising efforts for this Symposium have been spearheaded by Dr. Elizabeth Sebestyen , a Board member. She has been soliciting donations from corporations, vendors and individual physicians to help make the reception and dinner party not only successful, but spectacular. Donations should be sent to AAMA, c/o Executive Administrator Jim Dowden, 4929 Wilshire Blvd, Ste. 428, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Your named will be mentioned in the Symposium program.
 
See you soon in Washington, DC!

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Register for AAMA Symposium by Feb. 20 for early bird registration rates

February 20 is the deadline to take advantage of early bird registration fees for AAMA's 20th Annual Symposium for Medical Acupuncture April 10-13 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Chair Robert Gross, MD, DABMA, and the Symposium Program Committee have an exciting and informative program planned.

Among the Faculty who have agreed to participate are Brian Berman, MD; Frank Butler, LAc; Anita Cignolini, MD; William F. Craig, 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. Click here for more on Faculty members.

The 20th Annual AAMA Symposium will be held on April 11-13, 2008 at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, in Washington, DC. Click here to register by Feb. 20 to take advantage of early bird fees. The Review Course will be offered on April 8-9, followed by Pre-Symposium workshops on April 10, and the Board Certification Exam on April 13.

Hotel Cut-Off

The Academy has negotiated a discounted rate of $215/night (single/double). This special rate is only available until by March 10, 2008 or when the Academy's block of rooms is gone. To reserve a room, call the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at 800/228-9290 or 202/328-2983 and be sure to mention AAMA. Click here for more information, including how to make hotel reservations online.

The 2008 Symposium is dedicated to bringing medical acupuncturists clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic information critical to the vital task of improving patient care. AAMA has granted the Symposium for a maximum of 22 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Click here for the informative program.

Review Course

Drs. Bradley Lawrence and Allen McDaniels will lead the Medical Acupuncture Review Course April 8-9 in Washington, DC. This is intended for physicians who have completed a formal training program in medical acupuncture of 200 or more hours, or have obtained equivalent training through other means, and have one or more years experience in the clinical use of medical acupuncture.

Physicians who obtained their training four or more years ago should find this course useful as a refresher to that original training. Physicians who intend to sit for the ABMA Board Certification Examination within the next 12 months also should find the Review Course particularly helpful.

The Review Course is designated for a maximum of 22 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Click here for details. Review Course material is also available for purchase on DVDs (without CME credit). See related article in this issue.

Symposium 2007 Material

The 2007 Symposium Syllabus is available for purchase online. Content from the 19th Annual Symposium also is available for purchase in DVD, MP3 and PowerPoint formats at AAMA's Live Education Center.

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Pre-Symposium Workshops to kick off AAMA 20th Anniversary Symposium

By Thomas Burgoon, MD
Chair, Pre-Symposium Workshops
Four exciting Pre-Symposium workshops have been planned for April 10 - each from 8 am to 5:30 pm at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC:

• Acupuncture in Psychosomatics and Psychiatry
  Dr Thomas Ots lives in Gratz, Austria and specializes in psychiatry with a special interest in psychosomatics and psychoneuroimmunology. This workshop will be an investigation into the pathophysiology of psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders integrating Western and Chinese medicine and a modernized view of Chinese medical theories.
   
• Geriatrics and Traditional Chinese Acupuncture
  Francisco Lozano, MD, is professor of medicine at the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City and is a faculty member of the two-year residency program for physicians in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. His workshop will be an exploration of traditional Chinese theory on the pathophysiology of aging and modern research done on mechanisms of aging.
   
• HMI Tune Up/Preceptors from Helms Medical Institute
  The Helms Medical Institute preceptors are well known to most AAMA members as faculty of the oldest ongoing  medical acupuncture program for physicians in North America. This workshop will be a day of intensive review of important acupuncture points used daily to manage many pain and functional problems presented by six senior HMI preceptors. (See related article for full details.)
   
• Auricular Diagnosis and Treatment on the Ear Lobe (head and face)
  Dr Li Chun Huang trained as physician and anesthesiologist in China and served as chair of the National Auricular Medicine Research Subcommittee in China. This workshop will focus on diagnosis and treatment using the earlobe, which is related to the head and face in auricular medicine, and auricular treatment of drug, alcohol and smoking addiction as well as weight loss. Dr William Huang will translate for her.

Accredited by the ACCME, AAMA has designated Pre-Symposium Workshops for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Click here for details on each workshop.

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'HMI Tuneup' to debut at AAMA Symposium in Washington, DC

A new session entitled, "HMI Tuneup," will debut at AAMA's Symposium in Washington, DC in April 2008. HMI senior preceptors will offer a day of intensive review of important acupuncture points used daily to manage many pain and functional problems.

Regions of common musculoskeletal pain will be addressed through anatomy, palpation, needling patterns and techniques of stimulation. Participants have the opportunity to solidify their clinical skills and return to practice with greater acupuncture confidence. Participation is limited to physicians with 200 hours of AAMA-approved formal training.
 
There will be six East Coast HMI senior preceptors available for the Thursday session. Some will be there just for that day, while others will stay through the weekend.
 
The session will involve hands-on training in six stations of two tables each, with mattresses or foam pads for treatment demonstrations. Needles will be provided for the program, and students will be asked to bring their own electrical stimulators. Visual demonstrations will also be part of this program.
 
The number of participants will be limited to between 36-48 in order to assure a reasonable preceptor-to-student ratio.
 
This optional session will be offered on Thursday, April 10 concurrently with Pre-Symposium Workshops. As noted, attendance will be limited to facilitate a quality educational experience. Click here for details.

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Symposium offers session, Approaches for Financially Successful Medical Acupuncture Practice

By Gene Hong, MD, DABMA
Member, AAMA Board of Directors

It has become clear to the AAMA Board of Directors that many of our members are struggling to be financially successful with the practice of medical acupuncture. As a service to our membership, the Board has embarked on an effort to better support member practices. A first step in this effort is to give members a sense of how a successful medical acupuncture practice can be achieved. 

I have been tasked with organizing a panel discussion called, Approaches for a Financially Successful Medical Acupuncture Practice. This practice management workshop will take place at the AAMA 20th Anniversary Symposium from 7:30-9:30 pm on Friday, April 11.

The format will be a panel presentation, followed by a discussion with the audience. Each panel member will be an AAMA member who has been in practice for several years and has been able to create a successful practice. I will also try to procure an "Insurance Billing Expert" to present, as well. Each panel member will represent a different model of success (i.e., All acupuncture, some acupuncture, solo practice, group practice, academic practice, etc.).

The panel members will present several key points:

1. Years of practice: Medical and acupuncture.
2. How people come to the practice: advertisement, word of mouth, physician referral, etc.
3. Number of acupuncture patients per day versus number of non-acupuncture patients
4. Number of minutes spent with patients
5. Number of employees
6. Insurance billing versus cash patients
7. How billing is performed: codes, appeals, etc.
8. How charts are kept
9. Any other factors that have enhanced financial success

After a 10-minute presentation by each panel member, the rest of the time will be spent answering questions from the audience.

I hope to see you at the Symposium at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. And please come to the practice presentation with your questions regarding the financial side of medical acupuncture.

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Feedback sought from members to make future Symposia even better

By Tapan K. Chaudhuri, MD, FACP, FAAMA
Member, AAMA Board of Directors

Greetings! Our 20th Annual Symposium for Medical Acupuncture is almost here. The Symposium Committee, again, has put together a great program. I hope to see all of you on April 10-13.

During the past years, the annual Symposia have continued to offer our members quality, informative experiences in acupuncture. Yet, there are many who feel that the overall experience of these meetings could improve. This is evidenced by a slow decline in participants year by year, as well as some comments of dissatisfaction seen in post-Symposium reviews.

There could be many reasons for this phenomenon. However, from the perspective of the Academy Board, we want to see the Annual Symposium -- a signature event of AAMA -- become even better and more attractive to members. We want the event to become a permanent annual destination for learning and enjoying.

Improvements envisioned by the Board may include change in content (i.e., more practical workshops on treatment and practice management), the format (i.e., meet the professor type sessions), more free time to go to the exhibits or luncheon meetings, the venues, attractions for spouses and children, etc. The Board has entrusted me with the responsibility of designing these changes, which I can only do with your help.

I would like your comments and visions of improvement in all phases of the Symposium. Please e-mail your suggestions to me at sudtap1@aol.com.

I look forward to seeing you at the 20th Anniversary Symposium at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.

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Poster presentations deadline extended to Feb. 20 for Symposium

Members now have until Feb. 20 to apply to make a Poster Presentation at AAMA's 20th Annual Symposium April 11-13, 2008 at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.

Application to make a Poster Presentation should be submitted no later than February 20. An abstract (summary) of the proposed Poster Presentations should be submitted via e-mail by February 20 to administrator@medicalacupuncture.org with the E-mail Subject line reading: "AAMA Poster Presentation," in order to be properly received. Abstracts should have the title, author, affiliation, contact information and abstract body of no more than 250 words.

If your poster application is accepted, you will be notified by February 29, 2008. All Poster presenters must be registered delegates at the Symposium. Poster Presentation Awards will be presented to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place presentations, with $750, $500 and $250 awarded, respectively. Awards will be announced at the close of the Symposium.

Click here for details.

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Entries due by Feb. 20 for Acupuncture Research Paper competition

The deadline has been extended till Feb. 20 to enter the annual Acupuncture Research Paper Competition sponsored by the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation. First, second and third place awards will be presented at the AAMA Symposium 2008.

The deadline for submission of research papers for the competition is February 20. If your paper is selected as one of the winners, you will be notified by March 10. Awards are as follows:

First Place: $1,500, Symposium Registration, travel reimbursed up to $500, and three night's hotel lodging for the presenting author. Paper to be presented at AAMA Symposium in Washington, DC, April 11-13, 2008.

Second Place: $750, Symposium Registration, travel reimbursed up to $500.

Third Place: $350 and Symposium Registration.

The First-Place winning paper is to be presented in a 30-minute Plenary Session at the Symposium. Papers for second and third place to be announced at the Symposium. The authors will be acknowledged there.

The editor of the Medical Acupuncture Journal will consider submitted papers for publication. Click here for complete instructions and rules for participation in the Research Competition.
more information and registration for the Forum.

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Nominees due by Feb. 20 for AAMA Board of Directors

AAMA members interested in being considered for nomination to the Board of Directors are encouraged to submit a letter indicating their interest, along with a resume, by the extended deadline of Feb. 20. Full members and Fellows are eligible to serve on the Board, which is responsible for developing AAMA policies and overseeing operations. Address your letter to Chairman of the Nominations Committee, c/o AAMA, 4929 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 428, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

Also, the Academy is looking for volunteers for committees. Click here for a list and responsibilities of each, or contact Executive Administrator James Dowden (administrator@medicalacupuncture.org, 323/937-5514) or a member of the committee that interests you.

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Academy offering internships for insight into high-volume acupuncture-only practices

The Academy receives periodic requests from those new to the practice of medical acupuncture seeking to observe others in practice. The Board has tried various informal programs and activities putting new practitioners together via phone or other means with more experienced members. However, there has been limited opportunity to actually see and observe a member in practice...something like an internship.

So Claudia Cooke, MD, a member of the AAMA Board of Directors, has been in touch with several senior members. She has arranged for them to be available for week-long acupuncture internships, which will give participants intensive exposure to high-volume acupuncture-only physician run practices.

Preceptors

Range of activity
Both Drs. Nakazawa and Hong see a very high volume of patients for acupuncture daily, incorporating both traditional and contemporary needling approaches, as well as microsystems (scalp acupuncture, ear acupuncture), and adjunctive techniques (infrared and/or moxibustion, electrical stimulation).

Dr.Chaudhuri's practice blends internal medicine and acupuncture. He uses French energetics, auricular, and scalp acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain, headaches esp. migraine, neuropathies, trigeminal neuralgia, gastrointestinal disorders and other miscellaneous problems.

Dr. Niemtzow supervises a high volume acupuncture clinic at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center of Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, with emphasis on pain management, incorporating chiefly contemporary and neuroanatomic approaches and ear acupuncture.

The internship program is an informal activity with these senior members offering to accommodate up to two "interns" per week to follow along in their normal practice setting. Interns will be invited to observe and to query patients.  They will also be allowed to needle only if they hold valid medical licenses of the state in which they are interning -- and only then at the discretion of the host physician.  

A fee for this activity of $500 per five-day week would be paid directly to the respective physician in all cases, except with Dr. Niemtzow. As an Air Force physician, there is no charge for observing in the Air Force Clinic. 

This is not a CME-accredited event. The activity will be made available only to AAMA members, allowing for no more than two participants during any given week at a single office site. All arrangements, including scheduling and payment of the fee, are to be directly between those desiring to participate and the senior physician to be observed. Final acceptance of requests to participate will be at the sole discretion of the host physician.  Ancillary costs, travel, accommodation, meals, etc. will be at participants' expense.

Interested members should contact the senior physician directly to make arrangements.

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AAMA to offer, Ear Acupuncture - An Easy Approach to the Body, workshop twice

AAMA has just announced that the workshop, Ear Acupuncture - An Easy Approach to the Body, will be offered in May 2008 and June 2008 by Beate Strittmatter, MD, general practitioner and chief-trainer of the Germany Academy of Acupuncture and Auriculomedicine in Munich, Germany.

She first introduced this workshop to Academy members during the 2006 Annual Symposium to great review. This two-day workshop will combine lecture, case presentations, and hands-on work for physicians and acupuncturists who want a direct approach to a problem and prompt results in order to provide optimal patient care. To assure a high-quality learning experience, attendance is limited to 30 participants. 

In an era where more and more patients are seeking alternatives to conventional medicine, ear acupuncture has proven to be an efficient, inexpensive, and quick method of treating a wide variety of conditions, from headaches, migraines, back pain and allergies to addictions and gynaecological disorders. After the workshop, participants will be able to precisely locate and identify the reflex-zones at the ear which represent a pathology of the body (illness, pain, other disorders). Participants will also learn a concept of how to treat certain disorders in the area of the locomotor system, headaches and facial pain, allergic disorders, respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, hormonal disorders, mental health disorders using acupressure, needle or laser.

AAMA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Academy designates this workshop for a maximum of 13 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

Learning Objectives:
The overall objectives for physicians attending the Workshop:

• Learn about Reflex zones of the ear as an exact approach to the body
• Examine the diagnostic principles of ear acupuncture - how to locate the points, which points to consider, how to refer to the patients history and examination.
• Learn therapeutic techniques and principles of ear acupuncture
• Differentiate the indications and contraindications of ear acupuncture
• Learn correct usage of needles and the clean needle technique
• Examine the correct usage of a pointfinder

Dr. Strittmatter earned her medical degree in 1982. This was followed by nine years of clinical specialization in orthopedics, with further training in body and ear acupuncture, neural therapy, and manual medicine. Since 1985, she has been a lecturer at the Academy for Acupuncture and Auriculomedicine in Munich, Germany, and at the Society for Therapeutic Local Anesthesia in Cologne, Germany. For the last couple of years, she has been director of education at the Academy for Acupuncture and Auriculomedicine in Munich. She serves as examiner and teacher in two German physicians chambers.

She has published widely and has been instrumental in developing the methods of focus diagnosis practiced today in the field of auriculotherapy. She is the author of two standard textbooks in German and English and an interactive educational computer program. Since 1989, she has been senior editor of the auriculomedical branch of the journal "Der Akupunkturarzt/Aurikulotherapeut," including four years as editor in chief of this specialist journal.

The workshops will be held as follows:

May 3-4, 2008   Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites 8500 West Bryn Mawr Ave Chicago, Illinois Ask for AAMA Workshop room rate $99 Single/Double (Available until April 11 OR when block sells out) Call 773/380-9600 or 800/468-3571       June 7-8, 2008   Marriott Atlanta Airport 4711 Best Road Atlanta, Georgia Ask for AAMA Workshop rate $109 Single/Double (Available until May 16 OR when block sells out) Call 404/766-7900 or 800/228-9290       The schedule for the workshop will be as follows:     Saturday 9 am - 5 pm Sunday 8 am - 4 pm *There will be a 15 minute break each morning and afternoon and a 1.5 hour luncheon break (lunch is not included - participants on their own for lunch).

Attendance is limited to 30 participants. Registrations will be accepted in the order received until the course is full. After that, members will be notified and your fee returned, or you may go on the "wait list" should there be a cancellation.  To avoid missing out, should send in your registration and make a room reservation as soon as possible.

For more details on this course and to register, watch for a brochure in the mail or visit AAMA's Web site, where this course will be posted soon.

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Kiiko Matsumoto's & Myofascial Treatment Strategies in Gynecological Conditions workshop offered

AAMA will offer the workshop, The use of Kiiko Matsumoto's & Myofascial Treatment Strategies in Gynecological Conditions: Uncovering the Deep Neuroanatomic Map of Somato-Viscero/Viscero-Somatic Reflexes, by Joseph Audette, MA, MD and David Euler, LAc, on March 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, IL.
 
The instructors are co-directors of the Harvard Continuing Medical Education course, Structural Acupuncture for Physicians. This two-day workshop will combine lecture, case presentations and hands-on work for physicians and acupuncturists interested in an expanded neuroanatomic understanding of the pain processing system and its relationship to viscero-somatic reflexes. This approach may provide the scientific basis of understanding classical forms of acupuncture, as well as myofascial approaches to visceral pain.
 
Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, AAMA has designated this course for a maximum of 13 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.
 
Attendance is limited to 40, with only a few slots remaining at press time. Click here for details, learning objectives and to register for this course.

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Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum being planned for October in Canada

Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute (AFCI) is busily planning the Pan Pacific Medical Acupuncture Forum 2008, to be held Oct. 19-24, 2008 in Toronto, Canada.

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.

Festivities will start with an evening reception Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008 and sessions will run through Friday, Oct. 24, 2008, with Wednesday devoted to an organized sightseeing excursion to Caledon Hills, Niagara Falls and dinner in Wine Country. 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.

A Qi Gong Retreat will be offered Oct. 18-19, 2008 with Steven KH Aung, MD, possibly in the Caledon area at Elora Gorge. Then a special workshop is possible on Oct. 25, 2008 at the same location as the Forum.

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 is currently being printed and then will be 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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Medical Acupuncture Review Course now available on DVD

The Academy recently video-taped an offering of the two-day Medical Acupuncture Review Course, which has been transferred to DVD format and is now available for members to review on their own.

The AAMA's Medical Acupuncture Review Course has been developed to provide a broad-based refresher course on major subject matter areas with which a well-trained physician should be familiar. This course is especially useful as a refresher for those who obtained their acupuncture training some time ago, as well as for those who are seeking an organized review prior to taking the ABMA Board Certification Examination.

The set of DVDs comes with the Review Course Home Study materials. No CME credits are currently available for viewing the video version of the course. Click here for details and to order these DVDs. (See related article in this issue for information on the Review Course on April 8-9 at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC, which is designated for a maximum of 22 AMA PRA Category 1 credits.)

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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):

Brenda S. Donaldson, MD, DABMA, of Farmington, MA; Shirine Gharda-Ward, MD, DABMA, of Jacksonville, FL; Jennifer Luan, MD, DABMA, of Plainsboro, NJ; Maximilian Muenke, MD, DABMA, of Bala Cynwyd, PA, and Marie Schafle, MD, DABMA, of Angels Camp, CA.

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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Diplomates reminded of 10-year ABMA re-certification program

Diplomates (DABMA) are asked to remember that certificates issued by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture expire on June 30th of the 10th year following the date of issuance.

To maintain certification beyond the 10-year period, Diplomates must participate in the re-certification program. To participate in the re-certification program, a DABMA physician must:

1. Hold a current, valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in a United States licensing jurisdiction or licensure in Canada
    
2. Pay an annual $50 maintenance fee
    
3. Provide evidence of a total of 150 hours of continuing acupuncture education over the 10-year period, reported annually
    
4. Successfully complete a re-certification examination

Enrollment in the re-certification program is automatic for all Diplomates. Failure to pay the annual fee or failure to report continuing education credits earned for three or more years is considered nonparticipation. Non-participants will be advised when their certificates expire.

Delayed participation in the re-certification process may require completion of the requirements for initial certification in order to re-establish certification. Therefore, Diplomates are advised to monitor their participation carefully.

Click here for more on ABMA and the recertification program.

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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:

Please send information you find on research involving the effectiveness of medical acupuncture to bdortberg@aol.com.

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AAMA Member News

In January, Josephine P. Briggs, MD, was named director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine by National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, MD. Dr. Briggs is an accomplished physician who focuses on translational research on the study of CAM for a fuller understanding of the usefulness and safety of those practices. Click here for details.

In the recent survey of AAMA members, there was a great deal of concern regarding the state of third party reimbursement for acupuncture services. The Board created a task force that is looking at possible strategies the Academy might undertake in this area. The first step was to gather more specific information from the membership as to current experiences and how members are handling it. AAMA put together an online survey to gather information on how members are dealing with payments for acupuncture services and to get more specific information on problems with insurance carriers.

Members can search the Acubriefs database for references, special research programs and bibliographic assistance as a valuable resource to the acupuncture community. A free comprehensive Citation List -- including 134 new references with 24 Randomized Controlled Trials (and Abstracts of RCTs) - can be found online. The site also has 35 Citations from Chinese literature, with English Abstracts. Those are sent each month from their researcher in Beijing, who retrieves them from the National Library. They have also included citations from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the American Journal of Chinese Medicine and the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture.

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.

The 20th Annual AAMA Symposium will be held on April 11-13, 2008 at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW, in Washington, DC. Register by Feb. 20 to take advantage of early bird fees. Click here for details. The Review Course will be offered on April 8-9, 2008, followed by Pre-Symposium workshops on April 10, 2008 and the Board Certification Exam on April 13, 2008. The Academy has negotiated a discounted rate of $215/night (single/double). To reserve a room, call the hotel at 800/228-9290 or 202/328-2983 by March 10, 2008 and be sure to mention AAMA.

Preserve the 19th Annual AAMA Pre-Symposium and Symposium 2007 and all that vital information. Review once again a motivating, informative address or experience for the first time a compelling session that you may have missed. The 2007 Symposium Syllabus is available for purchase by online. Click here to purchase content from the 19th Annual Symposium in DVD, MP3 and PowerPoint formats.

Jay Sandweiss, DO, DABMA, will offer, Applied Kinesiology: Muscle Testing Comes Alive!, on March 8-9 at Michigan Orthopedic Center in Ypsilanti, MI. Presenting evaluation and treatment modalities of Dr. George Goodheart, Jr., this is a unique system that utilizes manual muscle testing to determine the underlying factors responsible for somatic dysfunctions. Learn to test all the major muscle groups to find the exact weakness pattern underlying a patient complaint. Click here for more details, learning objectives and to register.

Members participating in AAMA's referral program will be happy to hear that there were 524 unique visits to the website referral page in November 2007; 362 unique visits to the website referral page in December 2007, and 379 unique visits to the website referral page in January 2008 from patients seeking medical acupuncturists in their area. Members interested in participating in the Patient Referral Program should visit the physician listings online to verify that they are listed. The Academy staff needs explicit notice to include members in the program.

Drs. Nader Soliman and Richard Niemtzow recently announced their schedule for Alternative Medicine Seminars in 2008. Click here for a list of seminars, which will be held in the Washington-Baltimore, MD metropolitan areas.

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 has scheduled Dr. Richard Tan to speak on the Classical Chinese Balance Method on March 1 and 2 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, GA. The cost is $395. AAMA, which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, has designated this course for a maximum of 13 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. For more information or to register, contact Chapter President Anna C. Kelly, MD, at annakellymd@hotmail.com or 404/255-8388.

GAMA holds quarterly journal clubs with lectures from local physician acupuncturists.

Maryland
The Maryland Society of Medical Acupuncture 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 President Richard Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH, at n5ev@aol.com 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 is planning an educational opportunity in Cincinnati March 1-2, 2008. Dr. Joseph Helms will lead an informative program titled, "Helms Has Gone Curious," at The Alliance Institute for Integrative Medicine. It's for those graduates with at least two years of clinical experience using the fundamentals provided at the HMI medical acupuncture course.

Participants also will receive a two-hour DVD to be reviewed prior to the course. Attendees will be awarded up to 17 AMA PRA Category 1 credits (15 for the course and two for Dr. Helms' DVD). CME will be granted by HMI through ACCME.

A brochure was mailed to Ohio and surrounding states in January. Slots are still available. Anyone interested can receive the brochure via e-mail by contacting Chapter President Liz Woolford, MD, at Liz.Woolford@myhealingpartner.com.

Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Chapter held a conference in February featuring presentations on acupuncture research by Sung Chul Kim, OMD, of Korea on The Technique for Using Sham Acupuncture Points for Research Studies; Dr. Ching-yao Shi of China on Chinese Medicine for the Treatment for Interstitial Cystitis; Ma Sha, OMD, of China on An Exploration of the Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Migraine, and Lorna Lee, Mac, on Current Research in Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis.

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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