The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) is in the process of moving its headquarters from Alexandria, Va., to Jacksonville, Fla. The organization hopes to complete the transition by early February 2007.
The move, in the planning stages for some time, will allow the NCCAOM to invest in the purchase of an office suite in the Jacksonville area, rather than continuing to lease in the high-priced Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. According to a press release issued by the NCCAOM, the office relocation to Florida initially received approval from the organization's Board of Commissioners in 2003. However, those plans were put on hold because of the passing of former NCCAOM Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Christina Herlihy.
"After Chris's death, the organization needed time to heal and regroup, so we made the decision to temporarily hold off on the move to Florida until the organization had recovered from the loss of our CEO," stated Board Chair Bryn Clark, Dipl. OM. "Now, with the support of our new CEO, Dr. Kory Ward-Cook, we will realize this organizational goal with the purchase of a location in Florida as originally planned in 2003."
The transition period for the move will take place between late January and early February 2007. Diplomates, candidates, and schools will be given ample notice regarding the move. NCCAOM anticipates a period of approximately one week when candidates and diplomates will have access to only general information. Specific information will be available once the installation of the new computer system is complete. As always, all possible measures will be taken to ensure that there is no breakdown in communication before, during or after the move.
"The Jacksonville area will provide the organization with a stable and healthy environment to continue its growth so that we can offer the best in customer service to our diplomates and candidates," said CEO Kory Ward-Cook, PhD, MT (ASCP), CAE. "We believe that it is in the best interests of the NCCAOM and our stakeholders to relocate to an area that is more cost-effective and offers many of the same advantages as our current location. We will continue to have a national presence representing diplomates worldwide."
The new address for the NCCAOM will be: 76 Laurel Street, Suite 1290, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Visit www.nccaom.org for additional information.
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