Kevin V. Ergil is a professor at Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, New York Chiropractic College. He is a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine (licensed in N.Y. and Calif.), as well as an anthropologist. He is a past president of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco (1990-1992) and was the founding Dean of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, New York Campus (1992-1998). He's also a member of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and a fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (FNAAOM).
Governor Gavin Newsom has retracted the proposed budget cuts to the Medi-Cal acupuncture program for low-income Californians for the 2024-2025 budget year. This decision marks a significant victory for health care providers and advocates who have long championed acupuncture as a vital component of comprehensive medical care.
There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your patients may also benefit from curcumin for other reasons.
| Digital Exclusive
Fair and appropriate wages in health care are typically based on economic evaluations. A simple literature review illuminates that acupuncture is missing economic evaluations; which implies you are either underpaid or overpaid. The complexity of services provided by most American acupuncturists, which they are trained and certified to provide, must be reimbursed fairly.
