News in Brief

NCCAOM Elects New member of board of Commissioners

Denise Hsu, Dipl. Ac., has been elected to the Board of Commissioners by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine diplomates. She will serve a three-year term beginning this year. Hsu has more than 20 years of practice in acupuncture and Chinese herbology, treating pain syndromes, women's diseases, allergies, asthma, stress and general health care ailments.

"Denise brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the Board of Commissioners," said NCCAOM Board Chair Tess Hahn, Dipl. Ac. "[She] has already contributed immensely to the NCCAOM and the profession for over a decade as an examination development committee subject matter expert. She will be a welcome addition to the Board."

Hsu has experience serving on boards at both the state and national level. She currently serves on the commission's examination committees. She has been a professor at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco since 1990, along with serving as the chairperson of the college's Chinese medicine department. She has also worked for Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara since 1998 while maintaining a private practice in Sunnyvale, Calif.

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ACAOM Changing Dues Structure

The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) is undergoing a number of changes to improve the accreditation process and the services it provides. These are expected to include streamlining the accreditation process and making technological upgrades, among other needed improvements. In order to be able to cover the financial cost of these services, the commission has approved a revised sustaining dues structure that will go into effect this spring. The new dues will be as follows:

Annual sustaining candidacy and annual sustaining accreditation dues (MA-level) will be $6,600 as a base, plus $30 per student. They will be due on March 1 of each year of candidacy or accredited status. For DAOM programs, annual sustaining candidacy and accreditation dues will be $3,300 as a base, plus $30 per student. These will also be due on March 1 of each year of candidacy or accredited status. However, the annual sustaining dues paid by any campus will be capped at $20,000, regardless of the number of students or programs

The ACAOM explained in a press statement, "The dues structure currently in place has served the Commission well over the past five years. However, the Commission has determined that the levels of financial support we now receive in the form of sustaining

dues are insufficient to support the Commission's current scope of operations and strategic plans for both strengthening the accreditation process and improving the services ACAOM provides."

For more information on ACAOM and its new sustaining dues structure, please visit www.acaom.org.

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AAAOM 2009 International Conference and Expo Announced

This year's AAAOM Conference and Expo, which features a theme of "Transitions in AOM," will be held April 23-26 at the Hyatt Capitol Park Hotel in Sacramento, Calif. A total of 40 CEUs may be earned over the course of the conference.

In addition to workshops and seminars, this year's conference includes two a special pre-conference events on Thursday, April 23. The first will be a master's workshop on Saam (Korean) acupuncture, conducted by Yong-Suk Kim, OMD, PhD. The workshop will be held in two parts, the first in the morning and the second in the evening.

The other pre-conference event is a free, all-gathering at the California State Capitol in conjunction with Acupuncture Awareness Day. This is being co-sponsored by the California State Oriental Medicine Association (CSOMA) and California State Assemblyman Michael Eng (D-49th District).This should provide practitioners with a blueprint to reach out to state legislators for grassroots AOM activism. Practitioners will also be providing demonstration treatments and talking to lawmakers and their staff about the benefits of AOM.

Continuing the political theme, the conference will feature a National Update on Friday, April 24. Attendees will discuss the role of AOM within the incoming Obama administration. In addition, the keynote speaker on Saturday night will be Michael Taromina, JD, speaking on the topic of "Empowering Change: One Medicine - One Voice." Mr. Taromina has spearheaded numerous state efforts to provide AOM services to patients.

Early-bird registration ends on March 13. Full conference registration before then is $525 for AAAOM members and $575 for nonmembers. After March 13, the prices will go up to $600 and $650, respectively. Student AAAOM members may attend for only $75.

For more information on registration, hotel accommodations and the full conference schedule, please visit www.aaaomonline.org.

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OCOM and Portland Classical Chinese Garden Offer Taste of New Year

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine has partnered with the Portland Classical Chinese Garden to offer a public seminar focusing on staying healthy in this upcoming Year of the Ox. The event, "Eating for Renewal in the New Year" is taking place on Feb. 3 from 2-3 p.m.

Acupuncturist Tsueyhwa Lai is scheduled to talk about healthy foods that can be prepared in anticipation of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 8. She will demonstrate how to cook several of the recipes and participants are welcome to have a taste. This event is open to the general public and included in the price of admission to the garden. Guests may either stay for the entire lecture or wander through as they are touring the gardens.

The garden is located in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood. This lecture is part of ongoing series of events to coincide with the Chinese New Year. Other events will include tai chi demonstrations, tea ceremonies and lion dancing.

For more information about the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, please visit www.ocom.edu. For more information about the Portland Classical Chinese Garden, including hours and admission rates, please visit www.portlandchinesegarden.org.