American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine: About AAAOM

AAAOM’s Mission, Action Statement & Public Purpose

AAAOM Board of Directors
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 18: Voting
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 19: BoD
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 20: Officers
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 21: Executive Director
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 22: Committees
AAAOM Corporate Bylaws - New Article 23: Membership

General Information: Here you may read about AAAOM History. You will also find a Model Code of Ethics for AOM Practitioners.

Legislative and Public Policy Activities: One core purpose of AAAOM is to promote the professional field of Acupuncture and Oriental medicine, as a distinct, primary care field of medicine. Another primary purpose concerns state-specific regulation toward expanding scope of practice under existing practice acts or the enactment of new practice acts. In this section you will find a myriad of information -basic language requirements regarding scope of practice, recent legislative activities, protection of our access to herbs, as well as policy changes that impact the practice of AOM.

AAAOM Partnerships: AAAOM interacts with a wide range of organizations, institutions and associations that oversee, govern, advance or interact with the practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine within the United States. In this section you will find links to access these entities.

Public Awareness and Outreach: In this section we offer information to educate the public regarding Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine; an effort more broadly addressed in the Member Services, AAAOM Library, and Annual Event sections of our Website. For further information, we always welcome you to contact us via this link: contacting the AAAOM.

AAAOM Mission Statement: To promote excellence and integrity in the professional practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, in order to enhance public health and well-being.

AAAOM Purposes

To establish, maintain and advance the professional field of Oriental medicine, with acupuncture and other modalities, as a distinct, primary care (ability to exercise professional judgment within the scope of practice) field of medicine.
To integrate acupuncture and Oriental medicine in to mainstream health care in the United States.
To advance the science, art and philosophy of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
To protect the body of knowledge acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
To advance the professional welfare of our members.
To educate legislators, regulators, healthcare interests and the public regarding acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
To develop and maintain standards of ethics, education and professional competence, and to promote research and inter-professional relationships, nationally and internationally.
To insure that the public receives high quality AOM services
To educate the public
To serve the public effectively through improving access to our services

AAAOM Values

Integrity – that we do what we say we do
Honesty – that we say what we do
Excellence – that we seek the highest quality in all of our efforts
Impeccability – that we act authentically from our values
Trust – that we are impeccable in our communications and treatment of each other
Compassion – that we care for each other, our community and the planet
Responsibility – that we act with integrity and honesty in the fulfillment of our purview
Consideration – that we are thoughtful of our ourselves, the leadership team, the membership, the profession, and the wellness of the public and the place where they reside.
Diplomacy – that we communicate in a way that is imbued with emotional intelligence and for the greatest good
Transparency – that we maintain no covert processes
Diversity – that we respect and embrace the full plurality of practices within the medicine
Validity of current practice standards
Fully trained AOM practitioners

General Information:

History

The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM) was formed in 1981 to be the unifying force for American acupuncturists committed to high ethical and educational standards, and a well-regulated profession to ensure the safety of the public. There was a split in our profession in 1993, when two organizations formed: The American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) and the AOM Alliance. On February 1, 2007, the two organizations again reunited to form a new organization, The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM). By taking the name of the organization that split in 1993, the new organization has signaled that events of the past that led to the division have been resolved, and that a new era in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine leadership has arrived.

AAAOM is incorporated as a 501(c)(6) Professional Corporation, governed by a 16-person Board of Directors, consisting of 12 Directors and 4 Alternate Directors. AAAOM has sixteen Standing Committees.

Note: As a result of the merger, the board is larger. On the first election following this reunification (October 2007), the membership, as governed by the AAAOM By-Laws, will vote new directors. At that time, the AAAOM Board of Directors returns to a governance of 12 individuals.

Corporate Offices: In June, 2004, the AAAOM moved their corporate of Offices from Chevy Chase, Maryland to Sacramento, California.

As the umbrella organization representing the acupuncture profession in the United States, the AAAOM assisted in the formation of both the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCA, now NCCAOM) and the National Council of Acupuncture Schools and Colleges (NCASC, now CCAOM) in 1982.

The NCCAOM was established to develop and administer a national certification process based on the nationally recognized standards of competence and education. Since 1985, the NCCAOM has administered this examination, which represents professional recognition of a diplomat's demonstration of the knowledge and skills necessary for safe and effective acupuncture practice.

Standards of Education and Professional Licensure: Standards of education and professional licensure are important to the AAAOM. Thus we require that all professional members of our association graduate from an ACAOM accredited college, or its equivalent, and have current or equivalent licensure through the NCCAOM.

The CCAOM, a membership organization of acupuncture schools and colleges, was formed to advance the status of acupuncture education in the U.S., by providing faculty and administrative development programs and by establishing the National Accreditation Commission for Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NACSCAOM, now ACAOM).

Currently there are 46 ACAOM accredited schools of acupuncture that exist in the United States, and an additional 10 schools pending accreditation.

1988: ACAOM is first recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to accredit Masters In Acupuncture
1992: The USDE expands accreditation scope to AOM

There are nine Commissioners to approve accreditation standards.

ACAOM’s Acupuncture Program Requirements include:

3 Yrs/27 Months
1905 hours
105 Semester Credits

ACAOM’s AOM Program Requirements:

4 Years/36 Months
2,625 Hours
146 Semester Credits

ACAOM’s Doctoral Program Requirements: (To be considered for accreditation, a DAOM program must be sponsored by an institution accredited: 1) by ACAOM; 2) an accrediting agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education; or, 3) in the case of Canadian programs, the instituiton must be publicly recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada as a member in good standing.)

-4000 Hours (Not correct: See DAOM Criterion 8.5 under Standard 8)
-1200 Beyond Masters
-650 Clinical Hours

Several medical schools now include Acupuncture courses. There are currently over 22,671 licensed acupuncture practitioners in the US. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia either license, certify, or register practitioners, thus statutorily recognizing the practice of acupuncture. Kansas allows non-physician acupuncturists to practice under the supervision of a licensed Medical Doctor. In the remaining nine states, acupuncture is either unregulated, no determination has been made, or it is determined to be the practice of medicine. Non-regulated states include: ND, SD, WY, KS, OK, LA, MS, AL and DE. The first states to license acupuncture were Maryland, Nevada and Oregon in 1973, and South Carolina, in January 13, 2005. Recent state legislative activities can be found in "Making A Difference", as published in The American Acupuncturist, Volume 31, October 2004 Issue. The Practitioner Growth Rates Statistics identified by the National Acupuncture Foundation demonstrate a dramatic increase in licensed practitioners from 1992 through 2004: 1992-5,525; 1993-5,640; 1994-6,545; 1996-8,694; 1998-10,623; 2000-14,228; 2004-22,671; 2000-2004-59% increase.

Americans from all walks of life now consider acupuncture a primary form of treatment; something which can be used in conjunction with Western medical providers. AAAOM welcomes the opportunity to share a greater understanding of who we are and our role as the principal professional association to the acupuncture community in addition to serving the educational advancement, needs and interests of the consuming public.

Legislative and Public Policy Activities:

Again, one of the distinct primary purposes of AAAOM is promote the professional field of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, as a distinct, primary care field of medicine. We also specifically assist states in the enactment of new practice acts, or advancing the scope of practice in states where practice acts already exist. Here you will find a myriad of information - from basic language requirements regarding scope of practice, recent legislative activities, protection of our access to herbs, as well as policy changes that impact the practice of AOM, such as expansion of Malpractice Insurance Coverage.

In assisting State Associations seeking to enact or expand their practice act, or, for the public-at-large, seeking to better understand the Scope of Practice governing Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine within the U. S., AAAOM is pleased to provide sample statutory language:

Health Care Act (Long) - in regards to Oriental Medicine, including acupuncture be it enacted by the Legislature of the state.

Health Care Act (Short) - in regards to Oriental Medicine, including acupuncture be it enacted by the Legislature of the state.

State Legislative Initiatives: The first practice act legislation was enacted in 1973 in Maryland, Nevada and Oregon. Today, 41 States (PDF), plus the District of Columbia have enacted practice acts.

1973-Maryland, Nevada & Oregon
1974-Hawaii, Montana, South Carolina
1975-Louisiana, California
1978-Rhode Island
1981-Florida & New Mexico
1983-New Jersey & Utah
1985-Vermont, Washington
1986-Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
1987-Maine
1989-Colorado, District of Columbia, Wisconsin
1990-Alaska
1991-New York
1993-Iowa, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia
1995-Connecticut, Minnesota
1996-West Virginia
1997-Arkansas, Illinois, New Hampshire
1998-Arizona, Missouri
1999-Idaho, Indiana
2000-Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee
2001-Nebraska
2005-South Carolina
2006-Kentucky, Michigan

Access to Herbs: Another primary goal of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is to protect our access to herbal formulas, including those containing Ephedra. It is essential that broad-based herbal access remains available to practitioners and their patients. Following are highlights of recent events impacting herbal access.

February 11, 2004 – The Food and Drug Administration issued a 263-page final ruling that prohibited the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. The Final rule “does not affect the use of Ephedra preparations in traditional Asian medicine…” (Although this appeared to be the intent of this ruling, the “reality” is creating a very different outcome.)

April 2004: – FDA’s final regulation finding dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids to be adulterated says it does not affect the use of Ephedra preparations in traditional Asian medicines. This direct, unambiguous statement supports our goals. AAAOM considers this a positive development and recognition that the FDA is aware of the needs of our medicine…more.

February 18, 2005 – Herbal Medicine – Call to Action: The FDA has been reviewing web sites for Western medical indications. Suppliers of Chinese herbs have been contacted regarding FDA deemed ‘inappropriate listings’ of Western indications on web sites that are intended for AOM practitioners. This may also apply to labeling, and could affect you…more.

March 14, 2005 – FDA Interferes Unlawfully with the Practice of Chinese Herbal Medicine: The right to continue utilizing our Chinese Herbal Pharmacy has reached a critical juncture. We must all contact our federal and state representatives immediately…more.

April 15, 2005: – Facts about Codex and Dietary Supplements: The AAAOM is a member of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). As such we were provided this update and due to the significant interest expressed by our members, we are pleased to forward this information to our members and colleagues…more.

External and Internal Partners: On both an external and internal basis, intermittent and day-to-day activities for the AAAOM involve a myriad of National and State associations, agencies and entities:

External

Internal

Public Awareness and Outreach:

From International to National, to State and Regional events, the AAAOM is at the forefront of public awareness and outreach activities that are designed to not only advance the profession, but to additionally expand societal (patient) awareness of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. AAAOM publishes, for public dissemination, informational documents, such as: Understanding Oriental Medicine Acupuncture and Herbology. AAAOM also responds to a myriad of media requests covering a wide range of AOM topics. Two examples of recent articles include: Acupuncture is Gaining Mainstream Acceptance (Dallas News), and A Healing Touch (Greater Lansing Business Monthly). On an on-going basis, Prevention Magazine features articles on varying AOM topics, referring readers to the AAAOM corporate offices for further information. Three recent articles include: Needle Away Allergies, Arthritis: Safe Pain Relief, and What To Do About Fibroids.

AAAOM’s annual event, a 4-day International Conference and Exposition, convenes practitioners and AOM service providers from around the globe. In 2009, this year’s conference, Spring Transitions, will be held in Sacramento, California, April 23-26. This year’s event is being finalized.

Lastly, AAAOM publishes a quarterly professional journal, The American Acupuncturist, providing its readership a wide range of professional, clinical, legislative, educational news.

For those seeking additional information on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, other topics are more fully addressed in the Member Services sections of our Website. For further information, we always welcome your contacting the AAAOM.