AAC Files Legal Petition to Repeal Dry Needling Rule & Registration is Open for Kiiko Matsumoto!

         

Kimberley Benjamin, AAC President

Dear members, friends and supporters:

I am pleased to announce that the Acupuncture Association of Colorado (AAC) and the Colorado Safe Acupuncture Association (CSAA) filed a legal petition in December to repeal the Colorado Physical Therapy Board’s regulation allowing physical therapists to practice acupuncture with almost no training or clinical experience. We do not believe this regulation is legal since nothing in the PT scope of practice adopted by the Colorado Legislature allows the insertion of acupuncture needles or other invasive devices.  Since 2012 Rule 211 has claimed that physical therapists can engage in “dry needling” with a mere 46 hours of training.  After seeing the results, such as the Olympic skier who received a pneumothorax during a Colorado “dry needling” session, the AAC and the CSAA believe we must take action to protect public safety and acupuncture’s hard won reputation as a safe and effective practice.

For this legal effort succeed we need your help today.  

If you’re already an AAC member, please make a special donation to directly support the critical work our legal team is doing on your behalf.

If you’re not a member, please join the AAC today and stand with us in this important effort that will be closely watched across the United States. You may also wish to make an additional donation in support of this cause.

Please, help us meet our goal of raising $25,000 in the next 30 days by making a donation today of $1000, $500, $250 or whatever you can afford. Consider donating a day’s income from your clinic or even just the cost of one treatment. We are only as strong as the support we receive from our members and friends. 

Click Here to Donate

Professional and student members can read a copy of the AAC and CSAA’s legal petition from the Acupuncturists dropdown menu of our website. (You must be logged into the website to see this page. If you have trouble logging in, please contact Charissa at info@acucol.com or (303) 572-8744. Your membership may have lapsed when we moved to the new membership platform last year.)

You let us know that this is an important issue to you and we are working hard to address it. This fundraising effort is being spearheaded entirely by your volunteer board of directors, eleven acupuncturists who, like you, care about the safety of patients and the future of acupuncture in our state. You may be receiving a call from a board member asking for your support. We also need help making calls to the 1400 acupuncturists in the state. If you would like to help in this effort, please contact me or Fundraising Chair (and President Emeritus) Scott Richardson at fundraisingchair@acucol.com or 720-974-0392.

Thank you to so many of you who have already committed to support this effort, we have a real opportunity to set a national precedent that protects patients and the future of acupuncture in Colorado and beyond. Along with the AAC, the mission of the CSAA is to work with newly licensed acupuncturists and acupuncture students to promote, encourage and advocate for the safe and effective practice of acupuncture in Colorado in a manner that protects public health and safety. If you would like to become a member of the Colorado Safe Acupuncture Association, please contact Kristin Grayce McGary at safe.needles@gmail.com or (928) 213-4311.

I look forward to working with you on this, and to seeing you at our 34th annual conference in April for an awesome seminar with Kiiko Matsumoto! And as always, thank you for your membership and continued support.

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
President, AAC Board of Directors
President@acucol.com
(970) 214-6683

 

Registration is Now Open for Kiiko Matsumoto at the 34^th annual AAC Conference in Westminster April 22-23, 2017!

Stephanie Shober                                                                                            Kiiko Matsumoto                                                                            

The AAC is pleased to announce that registration is now open for Kiiko Matsumoto at our 34^th annual conference April 22^nd and 23^rd, 2017 at the Westminster Marriott. Her two-day seminar is entitled Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and 9-Star Energy (14 NCCAOM PDA / California CEU pending). 

Kiiko Matsumoto was the most requested presenter in the AAC’s 2016 conference attendee evaluations, so we were very happy to make this happen. Additionally, this year our conference will have two 9-foot by 12-foot presentation screens showing live video of Kiiko for all of her instruction and demonstrations to ensure all attendees can easily see what is happening onstage. We have been able to arrange for this audio/visual upgrade and still offer an AAC-member registration fee that is more than $100 less than the usual fee for a Kiiko Matsumoto seminar.

About the class:

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is an area of the brain that has recently been the subject of research in chronic pain conditions. Using fMRI imaging to study this part of the brain, Western Medicine researchers have shown that patients with chronic pain have less density in the DLPFC compared to healthy individuals. While the initial cause of the pain may be confined to the site of injury, i.e. low back or knee or wrist – this is where the person feels the pain – over time the communication between the area of injury and the brain becomes part of the chronic-pain-complex. Understanding this connection allows for new treatments and better understanding of chronic pain. In addition, this area also corresponds with mood disorders that often accompany chronic pain such as anxiety, fear and depression.

Using her research into the acupuncture points located in this area of the head, Kiiko Matsumoto found a strong connection between modern understanding of the DLPFC and Classical Chinese medicine. Looking into the etymological development of the ancient Chinese characters used to name points in the region of the DLPFC, she has been able to devise powerful and effective treatment strategies for a wide variety of chronic pain conditions. Through practical experience she also discovered a close relationship between the treatment of this area and changes in symptoms for patients with digestive disorders such as IBS, Crohn’s and more. During her workshop, she will share her discoveries and treatment strategies as well as demonstrate how to apply them.

Read more about Kiiko, the conference and registration here.

We are so excited for this conference, which will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers, get energized and learn amazing things. This conference is expected to sell out, so register early. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Kind regards,
Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
Conference Chair, AAC Board of Directors
conferencecomm@acucol.com
(303) 471-9355

______________________________________________

Please Support Our Advertisers!

 
 Message from the President:  
 Website is Live, Dry Needling &
 Strategic Partnerships

      Kimberley Benjamin

Happy Fall, everyone!

Your volunteer board is working diligently on your behalf and continues to meet regularly at CSTCM in Denver, with board members that travel from as far as Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. We could use more help and welcome member participation, so if you would like to join us, please check our Facebook page for meeting event announcements or contact board Secretary Robin Schiesser at secretary@acucol.com or 720-432-5373.

NEW WEBSITE IS LIVE!

The new AAC website is up and running!  We would like it to be a useful resource for you, and it is still a work in progress. If there is something you would like to see that is missing, please let us know. After we transferred the member data to the new site you may have received a notice to renew your membership before it was due. Thank you for your patience as we iron out the kinks in the system.

If you have have not had a chance to log in to the new site yet, please do so at your earliest convenience to make sure your directory profile appears as you would like it to and that your information is correct. The public can search this directory by type of treatment, technique, specialty or keyword under Find an Acupuncturist. On the new site you can make changes to your profile immediately without waiting for them to go through the AAC office manager. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact Charissa at info@acucol.com or 303-572-8744 for assistance.

DRY  NEEDLING

We would like to thank everyone who donated and made pledges to our legal fund at our annual conference last April. Our attorney is making great strides in his research of the best options to address dry needling in Colorado. We appreciate your support in helping us with the attorney fees, which are adding up in spite of his generously providing us with a substantial discount. If you still need to pay your pledge or would like to donate, every dollar helps. If you are paying a pledge, please note that in the comment box provided.

Click Here to Donate

On the national level, the American Society of Acupuncture (ASA) of which you are a member by virtue of your AAC membership, recently adopted a policy regarding dry needling. Read the policy here.This policy joins a growing list released by organizations such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. These policies are helpful in educating our patients and the public about safe needling.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Last month Past President Scott Richardson and I presented along with other AAC board members to Charlie Sheffield, executive director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans and five major health insurance carriers. Our presentation included our extensive training as acupuncturists and the clinical and cost effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of various conditions such as migraines, chronic pain, substance abuse and depression. We are planning further meetings with individual insurance companies to continue to promote acupuncture as a viable and reimbursable benefit for their customers. Scott is also continuing to develop our relationship with Colorado Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar to pursue expansion of coverage for acupuncture services.

ASA UPDATE

The American Society of Acupuncture Board of Directors will be present at Pacific Symposium in San Diego October 25­ - 30, 2016 to build professional community relationships as it is one of the largest national events for our community. If you are attending the symposium, feel free to introduce yourself to ASA board members as an AAC member (and therefore an ASA member) and let them know your priorities for our profession.

The ASA website is in beta. We will announce the site when it is live so you can stay in touch with the activities of this vital national organization and the benefits it provides us as members. See the announcement below about reading the Meridians Journal on the new AAC website.

The 2017 Annual Meeting for the ASA is scheduled for ­March 17 & 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. The AAC will send two delegates to represent Colorado in the business conducted at the meeting.

ELECTION 2016

No matter who you support in this critical election year it is important to exercise your right to vote. Make sure that you are registered! Please see the article below and consider volunteering for candidates who support acupuncture in these last few crucial weeks before the election. Our combined efforts are necessary to successfully represent and further our profession. Thank you for your time and energy.

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
President, AAC Board of Directors
President@acucol.com
(970) 214-6683

 

 
  Colorado State Elections:
  2016 Voter and Volunteer Guide

             

       George Graf

The fall 2016 general election is less than a month away, but it is not too late to connect and volunteer for state senate and state house representative candidates.

There are many tight legislative races in Colorado this general election and the AAC is doing all we can for state legislative candidates who advocate for acupuncturists. We are asking you, AAC members, to contact campaigns in your districts and give your time by phone banking, giving a personal money contribution or canvassing neighborhoods. This would be great exposure for us professionally and can really make a difference for these legislative campaigns that operate on shoestring budgets. Representative Pete Lee in House District 18 shared with me that the best contribution a volunteer can make is walking the district and knocking on doors.

An election is not the best time to bend our candidates’ ears about the issues we are facing. Our best approach is to introduce ourselves as acupuncturists who are supporting them, expressing an interest in learning more about their platform. They will remember us and our efforts when they are in office, and be more open to hearing from us when they are in a position to help.

Though we have had bipartisan support for certain legislative bills, the AAC generally supports the Democratic candidates as historically they have overwhelmingly been the proponents of issues surrounding the acupuncture profession.

Below are the candidates in key races that you can contact. To determine what is your senate and house district go to www.ballotpedia.org.

Senate District 19 features a candidate rematch in a closely divided district. Incumbent state Sen. Laura Woods (R) is running for re-election. She faces former state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger (D) in November. Rachel Zenzinger is a proponent of acupuncture. The AAC supports Rachel Zenzinger. You can contact Rachel at 7725 Marshall St., Arvada, CO 80003, (303) 748-0770, RachelforColorado@Gmail.com, http://www.rachelforcolorado.com

Senate District 25 features an open seat in a swing district. Incumbent state Sen. Mary Hodge (D) is not running for re-election due to term limits. Former state Rep. Kevin Priola (R) faces former state Rep. Jenise May (D) in November. Denise has served on the Finance Committee and Public Health Care and Human Services. The AAC supports Jenise May and she can be contacted going to http://jenisemay.com

State House District 30 the Republican incumbent is running for re-election in a swing district. Incumbent state Rep. JoAnn Windholz (R) is running for re-election. She faces Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D) in November. In 2014, Windholz narrowly defeated Jenise May (D), the former incumbent, by a margin of 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent.

According to the Colorado Independent, the district is one of two races that could determine which party controls the state House (District 31 is the other notable race).

The AAC supports Dafna Michaelson Jenet. Dafna can be contacted by going to http://dafnaforcolorado.com

State House District 31The Democratic incumbent is running for re-election in a swing district. Incumbent state Rep. Joe Salazar (D) is running for re-election. He faces Jessica Sandgren (R) in November.In 2014, Salazar narrowly defeated his Republican opponent by a margin of 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent. The AAC supports Joe Salazar and Joe can be contacted by going to www.salazarforhd31.com

Other races are not as tight but they still need our help, below is the list of retiring incumbents with seats up for grabs:

Senate Partisan Breakdown: Democratic Party (17) Republican Party (18)

Incumbent state senators that are NOT running for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents are:

Incumbent not running			AAC General Election Candidate
Mark Scheffel	Republican	Senate District 4	Christina Riegel
Rollie Heath	Democrat	Senate District 18	Stephen Fenberg
Jessie Ulibarri	Democrat	Senate District 21	Dominick Moreno
Linda Newell	Democrat	Senate District 26	Daniel Kagan
Morgan Carroll	Democrat	Senate District 29	Rhonda Fields
Pat Steadman	Democrat	Senate District 31	Lois Court
Michael Johnston	Democrat	Senate District 33	Angela Williams

Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2016

House Partisan Breakdown: Democratic Party (34) Republican Party (31)

Incumbent representatives that are NOT running for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents are:

Incumbent not running			AAC General Election Candidate
Daniel Kagan	Democrat	House District 3	Jeff Bridges
Beth McCann	Democrat	House District 8	Leslie Herod
Max Tyler	Democrat	House District 23	Christopher Louis Kennedy
Dominick Moreno	Democrat	House District 32	Adrienne Benavidez
Dianne Primavera	Democrat	House District 33	Matt Gray
Su Ryden	Democrat	House District 36	Mike Weissman
Kathleen Conti	Republican	House District 38	Robert Bowen
Rhonda Fields	Democrat	House District 42	Dominique Jackson
Brian DelGrosso	Republican	House District 51	Jody Shadduck-McNall
Kevin Priola	Republican	House District 56	Matthew Snider
Edward Vigil	Democrat	House District 62	Donald Valdez

                                                                         

Source: www.ballotpedia.org

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me. No matter who you support, please get out and vote—your voice matters!! Thank you for your time and efforts.

George Graf, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
Legislative Committee Chair
LegislativeComm@acucol.com

 

Reminder: Kiiko Matsumoto at the
34^th Annual AAC Conference

  Stephanie Shober                                                                                                                                                                            Kiiko Matsumoto

We’d like to remind you that Kiiko Matsumoto will be joining us for our 34^th annual conference, which will be held April 22-23,  2017, once again at the beautiful Marriott Westminster. Watch for our announcement when registration opens in early 2017.

Kiiko Matsumoto is the founder of Kiiko Style Acupuncture and is considered to be a "living Master of Acupuncture". She is well known for her ability to integrate the work of some of the most famous Japanese masters into her practice for the last three decades. Her style of acupuncture focuses on treating the root cause with emphasis on the entire body rather than a single symptom. As a result, patients find Kiiko's treatments to be effective and long lasting.

Her dedication to researching and understanding the Chinese medical classics makes her one of the foremost authorities on the subject of acupuncture. Kiiko's passion for sharing her research makes her a popular and sought after teacher. Her students find her seminars to be practical, fun and dynamic.

Conference attendees were so pleased with this year’s presenter, Lonny Jarrett, that we are bringing him back April 28-29, 2018. Mark your calendars!

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
Conference Committee Chair
ConferenceComm@acucol.com

Message from the President: New Website, Dry Needling, and Strategic Partnerships

 

Kimberley Benjamin

Happy summer, everyone!

Your volunteer board is working hard on your behalf throughout these warm days, and continues to meet regularly. If you would like to join us, please check our Facebook page for meeting event announcements.

NEW WEBSITE

Our new website is under construction and the website committee is dedicated to providing you with a helpful site as well as one that will be informative for the public, including a user-friendly searchable list of member acupuncturists.

Please look out for an email this weekend asking you to reset your password for the website. The email will be coming from AAOC@wildapricot.org, but the reply-to email will be info@acucol.com. Your username will be your email address. The front end of the site will not look different until the back end is complete, so don’t be alarmed that it looks the same. We will send you another email when the new site is live. In the meantime please sign in and update your information when you receive the email this weekend.

DRY NEEDLING

I would like to thank everyone who donated and made pledges to our legal fund at our annual conference. Our attorney is continuing to research the best options to address dry needling in Colorado. We appreciate your support in helping us with the attorney fees, which are adding up in spite of his generously providing us with a substantial discount. If you would like to donate, every dollar helps.

On the national level, The American Medical Association adopted a policy regarding dry needling at their recent annual meeting. “Lax regulation and nonexistent standards surround this invasive practice. For patients’ safety, practitioners should meet standards required for licensed acupuncturists and physicians,” AMA Board Member Russell W. H. Kridel, M.D. said in a press release.

The official policy reads: RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association recognize dry needling as an invasive procedure and maintain that dry needling should only be performed by practitioners with standard training and familiarity with routine use of needles in their practice, such as licensed medical physicians and licensed acupuncturists.

Additionally, the American Society of Acupuncture (of which you are a member by virtue of your AAC membership) is working on a statement regarding dry needling that is expected to be released soon. Please watch our Facebook page.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Last month past AAC President and current Director-at-Large Scott Richardson and I met with the Colorado Medical Society to continue finding ways our organizations can support each other. This advantageous relationship began during our efforts to pass our injectables bill and update pharmacy policies so that we could regain the ability to procure injectable substances. (If you missed the announcement—the DORA Director has signed the policy and trained individuals may once again obtain injectable substances from Colorado pharmacies.)

Scott, along with Vice President Mark VanOtterloo, Legislative Chair George Graf and Public Relations Chair Kristin Grayce McGary also met with Charlie Sheffield, executive director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans, to build relationships and work toward greater reimbursement of acupuncture in Colorado. Mr. Sheffield will facilitate further meetings with insurance carriers so we can educate them about how licensed acupuncturists can help with various health concerns.

OPIOID CRISIS

In both of the aforementioned meetings we also addressed the very current topic of opioid overuse and abuse, and how acupuncture can help with this crisis by treating chronic pain and addiction, which is both concerning to physicians and costly to insurers.

The Acupuncture Society of America in cooperation with NCCAOM and the Acupuncture Now Foundation has issued an information sheet on the benefits of using acupuncture to address America’s painkiller epidemic. You can see the info sheet here:

AcupunctureBeforeOpioids_ver2.0

Lastly, 2016 is an election year, so please see the article below about volunteering for candidates who support acupuncture. Our combined efforts are necessary to successfully represent and further our profession. Thank you for contributing your time and your precious Qi!

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

President, AAC Board of Directors

President@acucol.com

(970) 214-6683

___________________________

 

Colorado State Elections: 2016 Voter and Volunteer Guide

George Graf

The fall 2016 general election is imminent, now is the time to connect and volunteer for state senators and state house representatives.

There are many tight legislative races in Colorado this general election and the AAC is doing all we can for state legislative candidates who advocate for acupuncturists. We are asking you, AAC members, to contact campaigns in your districts and give your time by phone banking, giving a personal money contribution or canvassing neighborhoods. (Please see the table later in this article.) This would be great exposure for us professionally and can really make a difference for these legislative campaigns that operate on shoestring budgets. Representative Pete Lee in House District 18 shared with me that the best contribution a volunteer can make is walking the district and knocking on doors.

An election is not the best time to bend our candidates’ ears about the issues we are facing. Our best approach is to introduce ourselves as acupuncturists who are supporting them, expressing an interest in learning more about their platform. They will remember us and our efforts when they are in office, and be more open to hearing from us when they are in a position to help.

Though we have had bipartisan support for certain legislative bills, the AAC generally supports the Democratic candidates as historically they have overwhelmingly been the proponents of issues surrounding the acupuncture profession.

Below are the candidates in key races that you can contact. To determine what is your senate and house district go towww.ballotpedia.org.

Senate District 19 features a candidate rematch in a closely divided district. Incumbent state Sen. Laura Woods (R) is running for re-election. She faces former state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger (D) in November. Rachel Zenzinger is a proponent of acupuncture. The AAC supports Rachel Zenzinger. You can contact Rachel at 7725 Marshall St., Arvada, CO 80003, (303) 748-0770, RachelforColorado@Gmail.com, http://www.rachelforcolorado.com/

Senate District 25 features an open seat in a swing district. Incumbent state Sen. Mary Hodge (D) is not running for re-election due to term limits. Former state Rep. Kevin Priola (R) faces former state Rep. Jenise May (D) in November. Denise has served on the Finance Committee and Public Health Care and Human Services. The AAC supports Jenise May and she can be contacted going to http://jenisemay.com

State House District 30 the Republican incumbent is running for re-election in a swing district. Incumbent state Rep. JoAnn Windholz (R) is running for re-election. She faces Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D) in November. In 2014, Windholz narrowly defeated Jenise May (D), the former incumbent, by a margin of 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent.

According to the Colorado Independent, the district is one of two races that could determine which party controls the state House (District 31 is the other notable race)

The AAC supports Dafna Michaelson Jenet. Dafna can be contacted going to http://dafnaforcolorado.com

State House District 31 The Democratic incumbent is running for re-election in a swing district.

Incumbent state Rep. Joe Salazar (D) is running for re-election. He faces Jessica Sandgren (R) in November In 2014, Salazar narrowly defeated his Republican opponent by a margin of 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent.

The AAC supports Joe Salazar and Joe can be contacted going to http://www.salazarforhd31.com/

Other races are not as tight but they still need our help, below is the list of retiring incumbents with seats up for grabs:

Senate Partisan Breakdown: Democratic Party (17) Republican Party (18)

Incumbent state senators that are NOT running for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents are:

Incumbent not running			AAC General Election Candidate
Mark Scheffel	Republican	Senate District 4	Christina Riegel
Rollie Heath	Democrat	Senate District 18	Stephen Fenberg
Jessie Ulibarri	Democrat	Senate District 21	Dominick Moreno
Linda Newell	Democrat	Senate District 26	Daniel Kagan
Morgan Carroll	Democrat	Senate District 29	Rhonda Fields
Pat Steadman	Democrat	Senate District 31	Lois Court
Michael Johnston	Democrat	Senate District 33	Angela Williams

 

Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2016

House Partisan Breakdown: Democratic Party (34) Republican Party (31)

Incumbent representatives that are NOT running for re-election in 2016. Those incumbents are:

Incumbent not running			AAC General Election Candidate
Daniel Kagan	Democrat	House District 3	Jeff Bridges
Beth McCann	Democrat	House District 8	Leslie Herod
Max Tyler	Democrat	House District 23	Christopher Louis Kennedy
Dominick Moreno	Democrat	House District 32	Adrienne Benavidez
Dianne Primavera	Democrat	House District 33	Matt Gray
Su Ryden	Democrat	House District 36	Mike Weissman
Kathleen Conti	Republican	House District 38	Robert Bowen
Rhonda Fields	Democrat	House District 42	Dominique Jackson
Brian DelGrosso	Republican	House District 51	Jody Shadduck-McNall
Kevin Priola	Republican	House District 56	Matthew Snider
Edward Vigil	Democrat	House District 62	Donald Valdez

 

Source: www.ballotpedia.org

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your time and efforts.

George Graf, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

Legislative Committee Chair

LegislativeComm@acucol.com

_________________________

 

Kiiko Matsumoto at the 34^th Annual AAC Conference

Stephanie Shober

We are so excited that Kiiko Matsumoto will be joining us for our

34^th annual conference, which will be held April 22-23, 2017, once again at the beautiful Marriott Westminster.

Kiiko Matsumoto is the founder of Kiiko Style of Acupuncture and is considered to be a “living Master of Acupuncture”. She is well known for her ability to integrate the work of some of the most famous Japanese masters into

Kiiko Matsumoto

her practice for the last three decades. Her style of acupuncture focuses on treating the root cause with emphasis on the entire body rather than a single symptom. As a result, patients find Kiiko’s treatments to be effective and long lasting.

 

Her dedication to researching and understanding the Chinese medical classics makes her one of the foremost authorities on the subject of acupuncture. Kiiko’s passion for sharing her research makes her a popular and sought after teacher. Her students find her seminars to be practical, fun and dynamic.

Conference attendees were so pleased with this year’s presenter, Lonny Jarrett, that we are bringing him back April 28-29, 2018. Mark your calendars!

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

Conference Committee Chair

ConferenceComm@acucol.com

 _______________

Your Free Summer Issue of the Meridians Journal is Ready for Download!

 

The summer issue, v. 3 no. 3, of Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is now online! This and all issues of the peer-reviewed, Medline compliant journal are available free to you as a valuable benefit of being an AAC member. To access your download just click on “Register” to create a new account at their website and self-certify that you are a member of a State Association. You will be able to place an “order” for the zero-cost PDF downloads. You do not have to do this for each issue, just the first time. After initially registering, all you have to do is log in when a new issue is uploaded.

If you have any questions about access to the online issues, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Brian Smither, atwebmaster@meridiansjaom.com. He will be happy to assist you so you can read this issue and all issues of Meridians JAOM.

Clinical Pearls Call for Submissions

Topic for our Fall 2016 Issue: How Do You Treat Cuts, Abrasions and Local Infections in Your Clinic?

Practitioner, please submit your short (approx. 500 words) Clinical Pearl on this topic by or before August 1, 2016.

View the Submission Details at the MJAOM website and submit to: cpeditor@meridiansjaom.com

 

Thank you for supporting our advertisers!

 

 

• Conference Update: Record Numbers & Annual Meeting

  Stephanie Shober

  This is my third year volunteering on the AAC Board and it has been an honor. The knowledge and dedication of my fellow Board members are consistently impressive. We do need help from our community of fellow acupuncturists to avoid the burn-out that can happen when so few people are doing so much work. We do also have fun together, so please consider volunteering for a committee! You can do so at the conference or by contacting us by phone or email at any time.

  The upcoming 33rd Annual Acupuncture Association of Colorado Conference being held April 23^rd -24^th in Westminster has set another attendance record of 150 (at press time) for our state conferences! We are looking forward to learning from author and Chinese Medicine scholar Lonny Jarrett. Registration closes April 15^th and there will be no registration at the door, so register now if you haven’t already.

  The annual conference is held in April for a couple of reasons. In election years, an early conference allows us time to come together as a group to hear about issues and candidates that effect Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in time to take action. We also hope by following spring break time, the April conference finds many people in town and able to attend.

  The annual business meeting of the Association being held during the lunch break on Saturday is a requirement of our by-laws and the one opportunity each year that we have to all come together to learn what is happening legislatively for our profession, discuss important issues and set goals. Our conference is also a fundraiser that, along with membership dues, keeps us going.

  If you cannot attend the conference, please consider coming to the annual meeting from 12:30 – 2:00 on Saturday the 23^rd at the Westminster Marriott. You must RSVP for yourself only by April 20^th to stephanie@wholehealthcenters.com using an email subject line stating your full name and "RSVP Annual Meeting." Only members are allowed at the annual meeting, so please make sure your membership is current by logging in to www.acucol.com or contacting Charissa at info@acucol.com or 303-572-8744. (Lunch is provided for conference attendees only and is not available for purchase at the meeting, so please plan accordingly.)

  I look forward to spending time together with fellow acupuncturists and learning new things from Lonny’s sessions. See you there!

  Kind regards,
  Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
  Community Committee & Conference Chair
  AAC Board of Directors

   
  

  ________________

  Message from the President: Dry Needling, ASA & Website Updates

  Kimberley Benjamin

  Thank you to those of you who will be attending our conference this year with Lonny Jarrett. Along with membership dues, the conference helps support the AAC’s activities and expenses, and we appreciate your support.

  Dry Needling: The AAC has spent the last year researching our options regarding Dry Needling. There will be a full report at our annual members’ meeting at 12:30 on the 23^rd during the conference. We hope you will come even If you cannot register for the entire conference. Please see the Conference Update in this newsletter for more details and annual meeting RSVP information. If you would like to contribute to the cause please contact me directly and/or donate here.

  

  American Society of Acupuncturists: Board member Scott Richardson (President Emeritus) and I represented the AAC membership at the annual ASA meeting last month in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The meeting was very productive and we were able to collaborate with other national entities including the NCCAOM, CCAOM, and ACAOM. You may have heard about the launching of NCCAOM’s Academy of Diplomates. It was created to serve the Diplomates and will not charge membership dues. Its intention is to work cooperatively and synergistically with all AOM professional associations in support of the AOM profession.

  The ASA worked very closely with the NCCAOM as they created the Academy and has a strategic relationship with them. The ASA continues to have a representative on the CPT code committee and is tracking items that impact acupuncturists. They also have representatives attending the ISO (International Standardizations Organization) meetings which have special groups working on products used in Chinese Medicine.

  An in-depth report was also presented detailing how Dry Needling is impacting acupuncture patients nationally. Some of this information will be relayed in our annual meeting.

  The ASA is proving to be a valuable asset to our organization and it is representing us well at a national and even global level. We hope you see the value in it, too. In light of this we may raise membership dues this year to account for our ASA membership, which is based in part on how many members we have. Because our relationship with the ASA is a non-competing model, meaning our members are automatically members of the ASA and benefit from their work without having to pay separate dues, the increase will be a very small amount compared to joining a separate organization. If you would like to read the full report on the ASA activities you may access it on our Facebook page.

  Website update: The board has voted to move our antiquated website and membership data from its current platform to an updated platform. We were able to find a cost-effective solution to upgrade the look and user experience while increasing functionality. Please keep an eye out for emails regarding this process as everyone will need to sign on to the new platform to make sure your information was ported over accurately. This will take place after the conference, most likely sometime in May or June. Some announcements are made more rapidly on Facebook, so please “Like” the Acupuncture Association of Colorado’s Facebook page and turn on notifications by hovering over the Like button until a drop down menu appears and choose Notifications “All On”.

  Thanks again for your membership and support. We would not be able to do this without you.

  Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
  President, AAC Board of Directors
  President@acucol.com 
  (970) 214-6683

  ___________________________

  Finance Update & Looking for Our Next Treasurer

  Katie Robinette

  The Acupuncture Association of Colorado is looking for their next Treasurer! You can be a part of the executive team of the AAC and help the board to protect and advance the acupuncture profession in Colorado. Bookkeeping skills are a plus, but the association does have bookkeepers as well as an accountant who prepares our taxes. As the current treasurer, I will give you thorough training and will be your teammate until you feel comfortable in your new role. Join a dynamic group of people working for positive change! If you have any questions or would like to discuss the possibilities of this volunteer position, please email me at Treasurer@acucol.com.

  The association continues to do well with its currently limited funding. A large portion of our budget goes to paying our lobbyist, Leo Boyle, who has been working on our behalf for over a decade. He is a seasoned professional, is well-known and well-liked at the capitol, and we couldn’t have passed our injectables bill without him. We were able to negotiate a lower base rate with him for 2016, which will only increase if he needs to take legislative measures for us. Happily, our monthly payment plan to the attorneys who researched and drafted our injection therapy bill will be completed this year. Another cost-saving measure we took this year was to convert to a virtual office when the rent on our Wheat Ridge office was about to be raised more than 100 percent.

  Our research into the Dry Needling issue has been expensive. We will be discussing the results of our research at length during our annual members-only meeting being held Saturday, April 23 at 12:30 PM during the AAC Annual Conference lunch break. If you would like to know what is happening around this issue and voice your opinion, please join us. A full financial report is also shared at this meeting. See more details and RSVP information in the Conference Update in this newsletter. The annual conference not only provides CEUs and sense of community for Colorado acupuncturists, but is also a fundraising opportunity for your professional association.

  Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you at the conference and/or the annual meeting!

  Katie Robinette, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
  Treasurer, AAC Board of Directors
  Treasurer@acucol.com

  ________________________________

  Injectables Update

  Following the passage of our bill last spring we have had many subsequent meetings with DORA regarding making the necessary rules. DORA prepared a list of allowed injectable substances, rules for training and proposed changes to the pharmacy practice act that will enable us to purchase compounded substances again from in-state companies such as College Pharmacy. For more details on the rules, training requirements and pharmacy act changes please see the January Newsletter in the Blog section of acucol.com.

  At this time we are still waiting for the Director of DORA to sign the new rules and changes into effect. Our President Emeritus Scott Richardson has been following up with DORA acupuncture program director Leanne Duffy on a regular basis and was told on April 7th that there is no new information yet, but that she has been emailing the Director "regularly" on the topic. The Director is expected to sign the rules into effect by April 23^rd  (a deadline set by the date of our October 23^rd meeting), so we should be able to procure injectables by the end of the month! We will continue to keep you apprised of our progress on this subject. Please “Like” the Acupuncture Association of Colorado’s Facebook page and turn on notifications by hovering over the Like button until a drop down menu appears and choose Notifications “All On”.

  
  

  
  

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  Order Your Year of the Monkey T-Shirt by April 24^th!

  

  The beneficial effects of Acupuncture have gained recognition among other health professionals, but are still largely misunderstood by insurance companies and law makers. The AAC is working to keep Acupuncture safe and legal in Colorado. Our efforts at this critical time in our profession are costly. You can support Acupuncture and Oriental medicine in our state by purchasing this cool T-shirt that celebrates the Year of the Monkey. If you missed the opportunity earlier this year to purchase one, please help us reach our second goal of 50 t-shirts before April 24th. You should then receive your shirt before May 12th. (There is a $5 shipping fee in addition to the cost of the shirt.)

  Click Here to Purchase your T-shirt!

  Even if you don't want a T-shirt you may still make a donation here.

  

  Thank you for your support!

  __________________________________

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Lonny Jarrett at the 33rd Annual Acupuncture Association of Colorado Conference at the Marriott Westminster

Lonny Jarrett

The AAC is pleased to announce Lonny Jarrett will be joining us in Denver April 23-24, 2016 at the Westminster Marriott for a two-day seminar entitled Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot.

About the class:   In this class Lonny will discuss how to diagnose and treat trauma with Chinese medicine. We will consider the heart/kidney axis as the physiological foundation of stability and how to restore integrity to this most important relationship. Lonny will emphasize the importance of the practitioner's awareness of the dimension of self that is never wounded or traumatized as a gold standard in diagnosis and treatment. In this regard, the practitioner's own integrity will be considered as the root of efficacy in treatment. The class will be rooted in an appreciation of the core dimensions and capacities of the self, including the spirit, ego, emptiness, soul, conscience, and the will.

About Lonny: Lonny S. Jarrett, M. Ac., author of Nourishing Destiny, The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine and The Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine has been practicing in Stockbridge, Massachusetts since 1986. He is a founding board member of the Acupuncture Society of Massachusetts and a Fellow of the National Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He holds a master's degree in neurobiology and a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He was recently featured in the text, "The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling" by best-selling author Stephen Cope. Lonny hosts NourishingDestiny.com, an online community for 3000 practitioners of Chinese medicine worldwide.

The Conference Schedule

Saturday, April 23
7:30 – 8:30       Registration / Visit Exhibitors & Silent Auction Booth
8:30– 10:30      Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
10:30 – 11:00    Break
11::00 – 12:30   Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
12:30 – 2:00      Complimentary Lunch / Acupuncture Association of Colorado Annual Meeting
2:00 – 4:00       Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
4:00 – 4:30       Break
4:30 – 6:30       Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
6:30 – 7:30       Complimentary Evening Reception

Sunday, April 24
8:00 – 8:30       Visit Exhibitors / Silent Auction Closes
8:30– 10:00      Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
10:00 – 10:30   Break
10:30 – 12:00    Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
12:00 – 1:00      Complimentary Lunch / Silent Auction Items Awarded
1:00 – 3:00       Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot
3:00 – 3:30       Break
3:30 – 5:00       Lonny Jarrett Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot

Venue / Lodging

The conference will be held at Marriott Westminster, 7000 Church Ranch Blvd., Westminster, CO 80021

• The AAC has arranged room rates of $119/night beginning Friday, April 22^nd.
• Please make your reservation before Tuesday, March 22^nd to guarantee a room at this rate.

Click here to book your room

Please click here for more information and to register!

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Message from the President: Dry Needling, Injectables and the ASA

Kimberley Benjamin

Hello and Happy New Year! We are so excited to have Lonny Jarrett coming to our conference to share his knowledge with us. Please reserve your place early, as last year we sold out and we want everyone who would like to learn from him to have the opportunity to do so.
Dry Needling: The AAC continues to explore the very important and current topic of Dry Needling. Research of safety issues as well as historic legislative and policy documents is costly. If you would like to contribute to the cause please see our T-shirt campaign below and/or contact me directly at President@acucol.com or (970) 214-6683. We will give you a full report on this topic at our annual meeting in April. Even if you can’t attend the entire conference please join us for our annual meeting 1:00 - 2:00 on Saturday, April 23rd at the Westminster Marriott.

 

Injectables: We continue to work on obtaining the right to procure injectables following the passage of our bill last spring. The process has been long and intricate, involving several stakeholders. We have participated in meetings leading to DORA preparing a list of allowed injectable substances, rules for training and proposed changes to the pharmacy practice act that will enable us to purchase compounded substances again from in-state companies such as College Pharmacy.

 

List of proposed substances:
(1) Dextrose; (2) d-glucose; (3) Enzymes except urokinase; (4) Glucose; (4) Homeopathic Substances (to only include those that are within the US Pharmacopia);  (5) Hyaluronic Acid; (6) Minerals; (7) Saline; (8) Sarapin; (9) Sodium chloride; (9) Sterile water; (10) Traumeel; (11) Vitamins; (12) Cyanocobalamin; (13) Lidocaine; (14) Marcaine (Bupivacaine Hydrochloride) with or without epinephrine; (15) Oriental Herbs; (16) Procaine; and (17) Vitamin B-12.

 

There are additional substances that were not specifically listed previously. For work with oriental herbs injectables, practitioners must have completed herbal training and be a NCCAOM Oriental Medicine diplomate or be California certified. Practitioners also need to maintain current First Aid and Basic Life Support CPR certification and be trained in the use of oxygen and intramuscular epinephrine. One only needs to be trained in oxygen and IM epi for the substances known to have adverse reactions (12-17), and be trained in herbs for injecting herbs. Proposed change to the pharmacy practice act:

(a) An in-state prescription drug outlet shall only distribute a compounded product to:

(1)  Practitioners licensed and located in Colorado and authorized by law to prescribe the drug

(2) Colorado licensed/registered acupuncturists, direct-entry midwives, or naturopathic doctors who are located in Colorado and authorized by law to obtain the drug.

The Director of DORA has up to six months from our last meeting on October 23rd to sign the rules into effect. So it could be as late as April before we are able to obtain injectables again. We will continue to keep you apprised of our progress on this subject. Make sure you are following us on Facebook and are signed up for our Yahoo Group to get the most timely updates.

ASA: The next American Society of Acupuncturists meeting will be held March 3rd and 4th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The AAC will be sending two representatives to participate. This important newly-formed national organization helps keep our fingers on the pulse of AOM issues and to have a voice in the progress of our profession nationally and globally. Because the AAC is a member organization of the ASA, AAC members get free issues of the peer-reviewed Meridians Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. See the announcement below about the winter issue, ready now for download.

Thank you for your continued support and membership, and I look forward to seeing you at the conference in April.

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
President, AAC Board of Directors
President@acucol.com (970) 214-6683

___________________________

Order Your Year of the Monkey T-Shirt by January 24^th!

The beneficial effects of Acupuncture have gained recognition among other health professionals, but are still largely misunderstood by insurance companies and law makers. The AAC is working to keep Acupuncture safe and legal in Colorado. Our efforts at this critical time in our profession are costly. You can support Acupuncture and Oriental medicine in our state by purchasing this cool T-shirt that celebrates the Year of the Monkey. Please help us reach our first goal of 50 t-shirts before January 24th. You should then receive your shirt by February 11th. (There is a $5 shipping fee in addition to the cost of the shirt.) You may also make an additional or separate donation to our cause. Thank you for your support!

Click Here to Purchase your T-shirt!

_____________________________

Finance Report: Stretching our Funds and Looking for Our Next Treasurer

Katie Robinette

The association is doing well with its limited funding, however we still needed to dip into our savings in 2015. A large portion of our budget goes to paying our lobbyist, Leo Boyle, who has been working on our behalf for over a decade. He is a seasoned professional, is well-known and well-liked at the capitol and we couldn’t have passed our injectables bill without him. We were able to negotiate a lower base rate with him for 2016, which will increase if he needs to take legislative measures for us. We are continuing to pay the attorneys who researched and drafted our injection therapy bill on a monthly payment plan.

Our continued research of the Dry Needling issue is expensive. We would also like to have enough funds for educational outreach to the public about the benefits (safety and otherwise) of seeing a licensed acupuncturist, and we have discussed hiring an executive director to help our all-volunteer board represent you more effectively and efficiently. However, our funds are currently stretched to the max. Please help us to increase our membership by spreading the word about how active our association truly is and also see the T-shirt campaign in this newsletter. We also hope you will attend our annual conference, which not only provides CEUs and sense of community for Colorado acupuncturists, but is also a fundraising opportunity for your professional association.

The Acupuncture Association of Colorado is looking for their next Treasurer. You can be a part of the executive team of the AAC and help the board to protect and advance the acupuncture profession in Colorado. Bookkeeping skills are a plus, but the association does have bookkeepers. As the current treasurer, I will give you thorough training and will be your teammate until you feel comfortable in your new role. Would you like to join a dynamic group of people working for positive change? If you have any questions or would like to discuss the possibilities, please email me at Treasurer@acucol.com. Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Katie Robinette, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
Treasurer, AAC Board of Directors
Treasurer@acucol.com

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Your Free Winter Issue of the Meridians Journal is Ready for Download!

The winter issue, v. 3 no. 1, of Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is now online! This and all issues of the peer-reviewed, Medline compliant journal are available free to you as a valuable benefit of being an AAC member. To access your download just click on “Register” to create a new account at their website and self-certify that you are a member of a State Association. You will be able to place an “order” for the zero-cost PDF downloads. You do not have to do this for each issue, just the first time. After initially registering, all you have to do is log in when a new issue is uploaded.

If you have any questions about access to the online issues, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Brian Smither, at webmaster@meridiansjaom.com. He will be happy to assist you so you can read this issue and all issues of Meridians JAOM.

Clinical Pearls Call for Submissions: How Do You Treat Erectile Dysfunction in Your Clinic?

Practitioners, please submit your short (approx. 500 words) clinical pearl addressing this topic by or before February 1, 2016. Preview the Submission Details at the MJAOM website and submit to: cpeditor@meridiansjaom.com __________________________________

Making the Case for Acupuncture Instead of Opiates

Brittney Chowning

Chinese medicine is a beautiful and natural way to approach health and healing. One of the most notable and well-researched applications of acupuncture treatment is to relieve pain. Any kind of discomfort can be considered pain, including physical and emotional. As many of us are aware, our current society has a quick-fix mentality. When we have acid regurgitation we are prescribed a pill, when we are in pain we are prescribed a pill, when we are depressed…and so on. This method has led us down a rabbit hole leading to addiction, dis-ease and overdose. In the state of Colorado alone an average of thirty five people die from opiate use each month. As practitioners of Oriental Medicine it is our duty not only to treat those that come to us for healing but to educate them and our communities about healthier ways of living.

Joe Brady, L.Ac. and Jacqui Shumway, M.A. of the Young Living Institute in Denver are preparing a report to present later this month to the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing demonstrating that Chinese medicine is more effective than opiates in treating pain. Their goal is to persuade the CHCPF to encourage health care organizations to revise their strategies for the treatment of pain to include approaches such as acupuncture and other traditional therapies as a viable alternative to opiate prescriptions. They have been collecting high-quality research articles showing the effectiveness of acupuncture, Chinese herbs and adjunct therapies such as moxibustion, cupping and gua sha in the treatment of pain as evidence for this report. As healers we ultimately want to extend our wealth of knowledge of health and wellbeing to those that may not have had access to this kind of information. This progression is invaluable to the acupuncture profession and to the communities we serve. As we endeavor to educate and influence the institutions charged with caring for the public’s health we are headed towards a healthier and more productive future for the citizens of Colorado. If you are aware of any research articles, white papers or position papers that could be useful in the presentation, please e-mail me at studentrep@acucol.com at your earliest opportunity. Thank you.

Brittney Chowning, CSTCM Student
AAC Student Representative
studentrep@acucol.com

______________________________

Thank You For Supporting Our Advertisers!

Message from the President

Kimberley Benjamin

Hello, members and friends of the AAC!

 

Many of you have been waiting for a resolution to the procurement of injectables issue and I am happy to report that it is imminent. Our President Emeritus Scott Richardson and I have been in close contact with DORA, and next week there will be a Rules hearing at which a list of approved substances is expected to be presented by DORA as well any additional training that may be required. We should also have an answer about the manufactured vs compound debate. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page for an announcement after the October 23rd hearing.

 

 

I'm pleased to announce that the AAC has officially become a voting member of the newly-formed American Society of Acupuncturists . If you are a member of the AAC, you have the benefit of being represented at the national level by the ASA. This November, the ASA is sending a representative to the Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR) meeting in Boston. SAR is dedicated to improving the quality and increasing the awareness of research in acupuncture, herbal therapy and other modalities of Oriental Medicine. SAR’s Board is comprised of both clinicians and research scientists. The SAR board spends their time and resources keeping an eye on what’s happening in the field of acupuncture research, with an over-arching goal of identifying gaps between research and practice, opening dialogue about issues that affect the global Oriental Medicine community, and hosting public conferences. Our representative from the ASA will be there to continue building bridges between research of our medicine and how it can impact legislation and advocacy of our profession.

 

 

The ASA is simultaneously working on a Dry Needling committee at the national level to bring a national voice to the issues we are all challenged with. The AAC Board is aware and understands that our members are very concerned about the issues surrounding Dry Needling in Colorado and we are working diligently on your behalf to find the best path forward in our state regarding this topic. If you would like to be involved beyond your membership please call or email me directly.

 

 

Lastly, I'm very sad to let you know that the board of directors is mourning the loss of Fundraising Chair Sue West, who passed away suddenly last month. Please see the memorial article in this newsletter and keep her family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your continued support and membership.

 

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

President, AAC Board of Directors

President@acucol.com (970) 214-6683

 

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New Treasurer Needed: Get Experience Running a Non-Profit while Advancing Our Profession!

Katie Robinette

The Acupuncture Association of Colorado is looking for their next Treasurer! Be a part of the executive team of the AAC, and help the board to protect and advance the acupuncture profession in Colorado.  This board is very active and involved in many exciting projects.  Bookkeeping skills are a plus, but the association does have bookkeepers. As the current treasurer, I will give you thorough training and will be your teammate until you feel comfortable in your new role. Board members serve on a volunteer basis for a three year tenure. In that time, you will learn valuable skills for running a business from the financial side, which is rarely taught in acupuncture school, and much, much more. Are you ready to be a force for positive change? If you have any questions or would like to discuss the possibilities, please email me at Treasurer@acucol.com

Katie Robinette, L.Ac., NCCAOM Treasurer, AAC Board of Directors Treasurer@acucol.com

 

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From the Public Relations Chair

Hello Acupuncturists of Colorado!

Mark VanOtterloo

I am the Public Relations Chair for the AAC and have a few goals in mind for the remainder of 2015. To start with, I would like to strengthen the presence of the Acupuncture Association on online forums. This will highlight the extensive ways our association provides activism opportunities, creates community functions and nurtures acupuncture support. Please make sure you are following the AAC on Facebook to see important announcements and events. Additionally, joining the AAC Yahoo Group enables you to directly interact with your fellow AAC members and the board, and get special members-only announcements. Another major focus is to increase the percentage of Colorado acupuncturists who are members, as well as garnering non-practitioner support.AOM Day, October 24th, is quickly approaching. It is the perfect time to devise innovative ways to promote acupuncture to the public while growing your practice. Empathizing with different perspectives can inspire engaging ways to interact with the prospective AOM patients.

The NCCAOM and the American Society of Acupuncturists have created materials to help you educate your patients and community about Acupuncture and AOM.

Here is the link for free downloads of AOM Day materials: http://aomday.org/get.html.

If you are holding an event, you can list it for free here: http://aomday.org/programs.html.

If you have any questions or ideas please send me an email at PRCOMM@acucol.com.

Mark VanOtterloo, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

Public Relations Committee Chair

PRCOMM@acucol.com

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33^rd Annual AAC Conference at the Marriott Westminster

Stephanie Shober

We are pleased to announce that our 33^rd annual conference will be held April 23-24, 2016, at the beautiful Marriott Westminster. We have negotiated a $119 nightly room rate for attendees wishing to stay at the hotel. Follow this link to the Marriott Westminster website if you would like to check it out.

As previously announced, Lonny Jarrett, author of Nourishing Destiny, will be joining us for a two-day seminar entitled Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot. We are so excited to have this internationally-renowned author and speaker as our educator for the weekend. At lunch we will conduct our annual meeting during which we’ll discuss important business and how we can build a stronger profession together in Colorado.

Looking forward to seeing you all in April, please stay tuned for registration information!

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

Conference Committee Chair

ConferenceComm@acucol.com

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Your Free Fall Issue of the Meridians Journal is Ready for Download!

  The fall issue, v. 2 #4, of Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is now online! This and all issues of the peer-reviewed, Medline compliant journal are available free to you as a valuable benefit of being an AAC member. To access your download just click on “Register” to create a new account at their website and self-certify that you are a member of a State Association. You will be able to place an “order” for the zero-cost PDF downloads. You do not have to do this for each issue, just the first time. After initially registering, all you have to do is log in when a new issue is uploaded.

If you have any questions about access to the online issues, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Brian Smither, at webmaster@meridiansjaom.com. He will be happy to assist you so you can read this issue and all issues of Meridians JAOM.

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In Memory of Fundraising Chair Sue West

For those of you who are not aware, it is with great sadness that we bring you the news that AAC board member Sue West passed away quite suddenly September 1st after a brief battle with stomach cancer. Attendance at her memorial on September 11th in Castle Rock overflowed the room. It was a moving tribute to an amazingly dedicated and compassionate woman, wife, mother, friend, practitioner and AAC board member. So many people spoke eloquently of how she had touched their lives and facilitated healing on many levels.

She was incredibly passionate about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and devoted countless hours supporting our profession. For those of you who were lucky enough to get one of the AAC Acupuncture Presentation flashdrives at this year’s conference, you should know that this was just one of the multitude of projects Sue devised and coordinated. She would drive all over the state to talk with practitioners about what the association was doing and encourage them to get involved.

Sue's kind and caring presence will be sadly missed by so many. Those of us lucky enough to have served on the board with her recognize that she is irreplaceable. Her contributions to the AAC and our profession, her patients, family and friends are immeasurable. We have lost a true advocate and a shining light. Her family has informed us that in tribute to Sue, donations may be made to The Denver Hospice or Colorado Cancer Research Program.

Robin Schiesser, L.Ac., Dipl. OM

Vice President, AAC Board of Directors

VicePresident@acucol.com

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AAC Membership

There are options to becoming a member of the AAC. You can make a once yearly payment or use our automatic monthly payment option. Click on the link below.  

BECOME A MEMBER!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Charissa Haines at the AAC Office at 303-572-8744 or email at info@acucol.com

 

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Thank you for supporting our advertisers!!

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AAC Membership

There are options to becoming a member of the AAC. You can make a once yearly payment or use our automatic monthly payment option. Click on the link below.  

BECOME A MEMBER!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Charissa Haines at the AAC Office at 303-572-8744 or email at info@acucol.com

My Mission as President: Value for our Members

Kimberley Benjamin

I am excited to have this opportunity to serve all of you in the coming year. We have a great team this year--some new people along with some veterans volunteering their time to work for you. Please welcome them and keep in mind that someday you may want to take a turn at serving your profession.  (Don’t miss the free e-book download at the end of this newsletter from James MacRitchie, a founding member of the AAC who wants to pass on some of what he’s learned in more than 35 years of practice.)

My goal this year is to effectively carry on the work that the AAC has done for years–to track policy and legislation to be sure we are protecting your scope of practice, and to educate policymakers and the public to build awareness of Acupuncture and Oriental medicine to help your practice prosper–to be the voice and the ears of acupuncturists in Colorado. My hope is to also update the AAC’s systems and policies to help future boards transition easier and give new board members the tools they need to further strengthen our profession.

In addition to this work, I’m proud that the AAC has been involved with the CSA (Council of State Associations) as they have gone through a lengthy process to start a new national association to help support our profession. After much debate and discussion the new organization has been named the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA). They have had three teleconference meetings to date and the AAC is tracking their progress.

By being a member of the AAC you are automatically a member of the newly-formed ASA and have national and international representation. For example, Vice-Chair Eric Buckley recently attended the International Standards Organization Technical Committee meeting in Beijing as a part of the U.S. ISO delegation to work on standards directly related to TCM.

One of the concrete benefits you are already receiving from the ASA as an AAC member is free access to the peer-reviewed journal Meridians Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Please see the summer issue announcement further down in this newsletter.

Another inherent benefit of being involved with the ASA is that we are constantly informed of current issues facing our profession. Through the ASA we have received a survey being conducted by the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine on attitudes toward the use of the term “Oriental” to describe our medicine. You can take the survey here. Please feel free to share this with other practitioners and your patients to help us gain a better understanding of the cultural norms and attitudes towards this particular word, and what it means to our community. This research could influence evolution of the terminology of our field.

We are also learning how other states have approached getting included as an Essential Health Benefit under the Affordable Care Act and will use this information in our own efforts as we present to insurance companies and policymakers. We look forward to seeing additional value the ASA will add to our organization and membership.

The AAC board of directors is excited to work for you in the year ahead. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you have any questions about what the AAC is doing or have ideas about how the AAC can better serve our profession.

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
President, AAC Board of Directors
President@acucol.com
(970) 214-6683

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Injection Therapy Update

Scott Richardson

Thank you all for your patience as we are trying to restore procurement rights of sterile substances for injection since our bill HB 1360 passed this spring. We have been calling local pharmacies and distribution centers letting them know of the recent change, but we are still waiting for DORA to promulgate rules and publish an official list of substances (this was part of the bill that was passed). We have been in contact with DORA on a weekly basis trying to expedite this process and resolve any concerns they may have on setting hours of training. If you want the most up-to-date information or would like to have a better explanation as to why this process is taking so long I invite you to contact LeAnne Duffy at DORA, as she is their Program Director of Acupuncture.  Her contact information is: (303) 894-7796, leanne.duffy@state.co.us.

It MAY be possible to order some products like cynocobalamin and lidocaine from College Pharmacy. We do not know for sure yet. We also have a contact from McKesson that is looking for a couple of acupuncturists to open up accounts to make sure the kinks are worked out for ordering from there. They have B12, Lidocaine, Epi-Pens, and more.

McKesson Medical Surgical
Brad Becker
Account Manager
cell phone (303) 596-1416
brad.becker@mckesson.com

The bottom line is that it won't be official until DORA finishes their part, but we look forward to letting you know when that happens!

Scott Richardson, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
AAC Immediate Past President
IPPresident@acucol.com

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What goes on at AAC Board Meetings?
Building a Stronger Profession–Together!

Yvonne Piper

The AAC meets every six weeks to discuss important issues that affect our members and to explore and coordinate actions we can take to support our profession in Colorado. Below is a brief summary of what was discussed during our last meeting.

• We are happy that our efforts have allowed us to procure injectables now! We continue to work with the pharmacies & DORA to complete the list of substances we need. Resources for procuring injectables will be listed on the Resource page of our website.
• Board members have been trying to make sense of the OSHA requirements and will continue to post information to Yahoo Groups, Facebook and the AAC website. Please see Membership Chair Sa’bura Goodban’s article in this newsletter for more info.
• The AAC voted to engage Brent Foster, who was the lead attorney on the successful cases to stop PT’s from dry needling in Washington and Oregon, to research case law and statutes in Colorado. He will be working with Kari Hershey, a Colorado attorney. They will submit a brief on legal options and the strength of any possible suit. The estimate for this work is $2,000 - $2,500. If it is decided that legal action is warranted we will need to raise at least $25,000 to proceed.
• The AAC continues to build and maintain relationships with companies that offer discounts, services, greater exposure and fundraising collaboration to acupuncturists such as Blue Poppy, BancTek, ZenVault and Colorado Medical Waste. Fundraising Chair Sue West is exploring how we can become a part of the Amazon Smile program as well.
• Sue is also continuing to work on presentations to insurance companies and decision makers regarding getting Acupuncture included as an Essential Health Benefit under the ACA. Former board member Anne Chew is assisting with this. They welcome any help.
• The AAC now has two student representatives who help us with fresh insight to our profession by offering us their time and feedback as well as involving the student bodies at Colorado acupuncture schools. Brittney, the student rep at CSTCM has conducted a student survey and is organizing the results. She is also setting up a student Facebook page.
• We are pleased to continue working with Charissa Haines, who provides the AAC with administrative services. Charissa fields all of your emails, phone calls and mail, helps members join and renew membership, sends out announcements and newsletters, and helps maintain or website and organize our annual conference. Thank you, Charissa!

Now is the time to come together to build a strong profession. Please help us make our profession stronger by volunteering some time. If you would like to help the AAC with any of these issues, please contact me using the information at the end of this article.  All AAC professional and student members are more than welcome to attend AAC board meetings. Space is Limited - Please RSVP if you would like to attend the next meeting:

Saturday, July 18^th 10am – 12pm

The Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine
1441 York St.  #202
Denver, CO 80206
Room E (Located in the right corner across from the student clinic)

To RSVP text message me at (720) 387-9522 with your name and email address, or email me at omwellnessllc@gmail.com

Yvonne Piper, L.Ac.,Dipl. OM
AAC Secretary

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Annual Conference Update:
2015 Feedback & Lonny Jarrett in 2016!

Stephanie Shober

Thanks to everyone–attendees, speakers, and sponsors–for a fantastic 2015 AAC conference featuring Jeffrey Yuen, Daisy Dong and Bruce Levy. Thanks particularly to:

*  Golden Flower Chinese Herbs for the $100 Gift Certificate raffle item
*  Blue Poppy for sponsoring Saturday's lunch
*  Lhasa OMS for donating three cases of Seirin needles to encourage new membership in the      AAC and for sponsoring Sunday's lunch
*  Far East Summit for sponsoring Saturday's breaks
*  American Acupuncture Council for sponsoring Sunday's breaks

We are listening! Here is a sampling of the attendee feedback we received:

Good job remarks:

• Awesome all around: timing, preparedness, breaks, everything! Felt that all attendees were respectful, interested in material, and happy to be here.
• Best lunches ever! Great job!
• Good job. Well organized. Great meeting.
• Great experience! Thank you all for your hard work!
• Great to bond with other practitioners. Great speakers.
• Liked the location and lunch provided was a very nice bonus!

Needs work remarks:

• The “lecturing at students” style kind of has its limits. Smaller groups? Conference style? Discussion groups?
• Start at 8AM so we can get out by 5:30-6:00.
• Chairs were very hard for the long lectures. Very uncomfortable.
• Location far from central. Why Colorado Springs? Otherwise, very nice.
• Need more restroom facilities.
• Room too long & narrow. Back tables too far from speaker.  Hotel was nice by atrium very noisy.
• Very crowded on our first day.

We thank you for your comments and will use them to shape future events.

SAVE THE DATE - April 23-24, 2016!

We are excited to announce that Lonny Jarrett will be joining us in Denver next year for a two-day seminar entitled Treating Trauma with Chinese Medicine: Untying the Knot.

Lonny will discuss how to diagnose and treat trauma with Chinese medicine, considering the heart/kidney axis as the physiological foundation of stability and how to restore integrity to this most important relationship. Lonny will emphasize the importance of the practitioner's awareness of the dimension of self that is never wounded or traumatized as a gold standard in diagnosis and treatment. The class will be rooted in an appreciation of the core dimensions and capacities of the self, including the spirit, ego, emptiness, soul, conscience, and the will.

Lonny S. Jarrett, M. Ac., author of Nourishing Destiny, The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine and The Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine has been practicing in Stockbridge, Massachusetts since 1986. He hosts NourishingDestiny.com, an online community for 3000 practitioners of Chinese medicine worldwide.

The conference will be held in the Denver area, and details about the venue will come later this year. Like this year, we will contract with a hotel that is attractive, well-maintained, and economical. We will find a ballroom with a larger capacity and better layout for accommodating the large crowd that we are. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
AAC Conference Chair

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Are you prepared? The Colorado
Acupuncture Medical Reserve Corps is!

Every day there are more stories about natural disasters such as fires, floods, tornados and earthquakes. Not only is our planet demonstrating this volatile state, so are we, its inhabitants and caretakers. There seem to be increasing stories of wars, riots and shootings. As practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we understand the principles and relationship of EXTERNAL and INTERNAL energies. We understand how to bring balance to our patients on an individual basis, but what can we do globally in the wake of so many disasters and traumas? You already have the tools to make a difference─your skills and knowledge of acupuncture. Colorado has a unique way for you to apply those tools. It’s known as the Colorado Acupuncture Medical Reserve Corps (CAMRC).

All 50 states have Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units, however Colorado has the nation’s first acupuncture-based, federally approved unit that deploys either on its own or with Behavioral Health units in response to disasters within the state. The CAMRC has responded to numerous disasters and events to assist in the immediate healing and long term recovery of the communities and people affected. As a result of the success with this program, other acupuncturists who have witnessed it or heard about it have requested assistance from the CAMRC to begin the process of creating acupuncture-based or integrated units in other states. Some of the more recent efforts outside of Colorado: Maryland has assembled a team of seven L.Ac.’s who have been NADA or AWB (Acupuncturists Without Borders) trained, and will be treating First Responders at this month’s MRC conference. In addition, a small group of acupuncturists have responded to the flooding in Texas, and there have been other states in contact to prepare for future needs.

In Colorado we currently have 58 L.Ac.’s who have taken the CAMRC training, including the FEMA ICS 100/700 courses and become part of the CAMRC Team through the Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer. The CAMRC schedules three or four weekend training courses (with free CEUs) per year as well as an annual mock drill for disaster response. This year’s drill will be held on October 4, 2015, and will be deploying teams to three different locations (Colorado School of TCM, Southwest Acupuncture College, and the Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture). Even if you have not yet taken the CAMRC training course you can still be involved as a volunteer evacuee for the drill and experience treatment from our response teams. This is a great opportunity to learn what it is all about and how you can use your knowledge and skills to bring hope and healing in times of need.

There is also a general CAMRC meeting at 3:30 pm this Sunday, July 19^th at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder (6620 Gunpark Dr, Boulder, CO 80301) if you would like to get involved.

You may also contact our outreach coordinator, Monica Edlauer, for more information at boulderacupuncture@comcast.net or (303) 859-7556

http://acucol.com/acupuncture-medical-reserve-corp/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CAMRC/

Steven Shomo, L.Ac., DOM
CAMRC Training Coordinator
zenmedic9@gmail.com

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Your Free Download of the Summer Issue of Meridians Journal is Ready!

The summer issue, v. 2 #3, of Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is now online! This and all issues are available free to you as a valuable benefit of being an AAC member. To access your download just create a new account at their website and self-certify that you are a member of a State Association. You will be able to place an “order” for the zero-cost PDF downloads. You do not have to do this for each issue, just for the first time you access them. After initially registering, all you have to do is log in when a new issue is uploaded.

If you have any questions about access to the online issues, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Brian Smither, at webmaster@meridiansjaom.com. He will be happy to assist you so you can read this issue and all issues of Meridians JAOM.

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Student Rep Update: New Student Facebook Page Under Construction

Brittney Chowning

Hey there acupuncture students–I hope everyone is having a great summer! I have a couple of updates about student matters that could be of interest to you. I put a survey out to the acupuncture students of Colorado at the beginning of the year. Thanks to those of you who participated for all your efforts and responses. The results are in! The only problem is I couldn't think of a simple way to get the results to the student population. I'm working on creating a Facebook page for acupuncture students in Colorado where we can post questions/responses from us to the AAC, updates on legal information, the AAC meeting minutes, and more. I think it's important to stay involved and informed even at the student level. Eventually the acupuncture field in Colorado will depend on us to thrive. So, let's start building our community! The page will be up and running by the end of July. If you have any other burning questions or would like to get involved you can always e-mail me at studentrep@acucol.com, or if you attend SWAC in Boulder, you may like to reach out to our new rep Allicen Maier at studentrep2@acucol.com.  We look forward to connecting with you!

Brittney Chowning
AAC Student Representative, CSTCM

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Free E-Book Download to AAC Members

The Adventures of an Acupuncturer: 35 Years Behind the Needle
A Clinical Autobiography of Qigong Acupuncture

By James MacRitchie

James MacRitchie

 In writing a ‘Press Release’ for this book–a brief introduction and overview–I reflected on who it was most written for. As somewhat of an autobiography I realised that patients, students, friends and family may find it of some relevance, but the principal audience is the members of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado–not least because I was a member of the AAC from its beginning. Who else would be more interested in what it has to say–technically, practically and professionally? And it contains my ‘practice secrets’, which helped keep me in full-time practice in Boulder for over 30 years. These may be of some curiosity to other practitioners.

The Adventurers of an Acupuncturer is the story of 35 years of ‘working with energy’ with a wide variety of patients...my clinical autobiography of how Qigong became integrated with Acupuncture...and a personal means of summarising life as a practitioner so far. I began Acupuncture practice in 1977, in London, England. In 1981 I took what was to be a one-year sabbatical to Boulder, Colorado. A third of a century later I finally returned to my hometown of Liverpool in 2013. During these years I discovered Qigong, and over the course of time integrated it into my clinical practice. This book is the story of those adventures.

My hope is that you will find this text of some value, and that it will provide another perspective on combining Acupuncture and Qigong in clinical practice. And also that it is accepted in the spirit of homage to practitioners everywhere who are doing, and pioneering, this most astonishing and miraculous work with the energy system.

This e-book can be downloaded free at www.globalqiproject.com.

Please note that it is 4+ MB in size, so may take a little while to download.

Jim MacRitchie
jamesmacritchie@gmail.com
phone: UK 44 (0)79-13-20-89-59

Thank you for supporting our advertisers!!

 

 

President's Report - Much Accomplished and More on the Horizon

Scott Richardson

As I am finishing up my term as president and my third year volunteering with the board, I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished and the opportunity I have had to serve with these fellow practitioners. I am absolutely confident that the organization will continue to grow with the members serving on the board. I also invite anyone who is passionate about our medicine and who wants to become more active in the community to come to the board meetings and volunteer on a committee or on the board. It will broaden your understanding of what it takes to be a licensed healthcare practitioner in the US and to keep the practice of our medicine growing in our state.

This past year has been trying for those that practice injection therapy, but we have made some amazing progress towards resolving that issue. We have worked closely with the Colorado Medical Society in our attempts to re-gain the ability to procure injectable substances and I can’t recall another time when our two organizations have collaborated to this degree. We have built bridges that will continue to serve us for years to come.

We also met with Insurance Commissioner Salazar and her staff regarding attaining Essential Health Benefits status under the Affordable Care Act in Colorado. We are now awaiting the announcement of the group of plans from which the next model health plan will be chosen and will then continue to advocate for the selection of a plan that includes Acupuncture as a covered benefit.

We also have another project coming up this summer that I am really excited about. It is extremely important that we have your most recent contact information to keep you informed of these important events. While I cannot go in to too much detail now, I promise that it is something that we will all celebrate. We will need your help to get as many people involved as possible, so please, reach out to other acupuncturists and spread the word.

Again, I want to express what an honor it has been to serve with my colleagues on the board. In speaking with past AAC presidents they have been impressed at the level of cooperation and community that we have. While I am looking forward to having a little more time when my term is complete at the end of this month, I promise that I will continue to be involved and assist however I can.

Thank you all for the opportunity to represent our profession and this wonderful community of healers in Colorado.

Vice President's Report - You are an Acupuncturist!

Kimberley Benjamin

 Some of you may or may not know that our profession hasn't had a Standard Occupational Classification Code (SOC) designation with the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). The NCCAOM has been working diligently to get us a designation and it appears that it will be happening soon. Even though the designation will not be completely official until the comment and review period is complete in 2017, you are an Acupuncturist and should be using that word as your profession or occupation in any legal or tax documents. For example, when you file your taxes your occupation should be listed as "Acupuncturist."

This consistency allows data collection on employment, unemployment, salaries, etc., so we can get funding and create jobs. It will help open doors to working in hospitals and could lead to student loan forgiveness. So when the Census knocks on your door and asks you what your profession is you say “Acupuncturist!”  We know you do A LOT more than just acupuncture but this designation will help legitimize our profession. For more information on the NCCAOM’s efforts visit http://www.nccaom.org/bls.

Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac.
970-472-0955
VicePresident@acucol.com

Secretary Report

Robin Schiesser

This past year has been an incredibly busy one for the AAC. We do our best to keep you up-to-date with our quarterly newsletters. As Scott wrote in the President's report, there has been a lot going on legally regarding Injectables and our right to procure them, as well as our efforts to gain Essential Health Benefits status under the ACA. Dry Needling continues to be a concern and we will be posting informative documents on our website. Please stay tuned.

Our Vice President Kimberley Benjamin has been keeping us apprised of developments in the Council of State Associations and along with our new board member Yvonne Piper attended their annual conference in March. The CSA is the most inclusive organization yet achieved in our profession and is tirelessly working to support the states in their legislative, education, publication and professional efforts on behalf of their association members.

The November election kept our Legislative chair George Graf busy attending events to educate candidates about acupuncturists and our concerns. Thanks to those who responded to our call for donations, of the 20 candidates we supported, 15 retained or gained seats in the house and senate. We look forward to a productive relationship with the legislature during future efforts.

Fundraising chair Sue West has been busy coordinating efforts to simultaneously support our organization and help practitioners by developing a Power Point presentation about Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine that can be used to educate your patients, referring practitioners and community. Her committee, including Anne Chew, Mark Van Otterloo and Yvonne Piper, has created and loaded this presentation and other helpful documents and articles onto a USB flashdrive that is available for a nominal donation.

Jacqui Strike, our Public Relations chair has been busy posting to our Social Media and coordinating volunteers to run Interactive Educational Centers about acupuncture for the 9News health fairs. Donating time to this worthy cause helps people understand our medicine while gaining valuable exposure for your practice. Please keep this in mind and plan to sign up next spring!

We continue to support the first all-acupuncture medical reserve corps in the nation, the CAMRC. Please visit their booth and consider becoming a volunteer. Their trainings are free and offer 10 pda’s toward NCCAOM recertification.

Our Student Representative Brittney Chowning has been getting fellow CSTCM students involved. She coordinated a forum at the school to introduce a survey to find out how we can better serve our student members and what their concerns are.

In addition to lending her expertise to many of the board’s efforts our conference chair Stephanie Shober has coordinated this amazing record-breaking conference that we hope that you enjoy.

Last but not least, our Office Manager Charissa Haines has continued to support us in innumerable ways. Please make sure to thank her if you have the opportunity to call or email the office.

Looking forward to seeing you at the conference! If you can’t attend, I welcome the opportunity to speak with you and hear any ideas or concerns you may have.

Robin L. Schiesser, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
AAC Secretary

 

Treasurer Report

Katie Robinette

The AAC is off to a great start this year. We are making progress in replenishing our accounts after our recent years of large legal expenses. These expenses included the Sunset Review of our Practice Act to keep our profession regulated in Colorado, and defense against dry needling. We have big goals for the coming years, and really need to get our membership numbers up.  We currently have a powerhouse board dedicated to seeing some huge issues through, so now is the time to get your friends to join. Let's see what we can accomplish together!

Katie Robinette, L.Ac.
Treasurer, Acupuncture Association of Colorado
303-909-6402
Treasurer@acucol.com

Conference & Community Chair Report -
2015 Conference will be a Record-Breaker

Stephanie Shober

 This is my second year volunteering on the AAC Board and it has been an honor. The knowledge and dedication of my fellow Board members are consistently impressive.

The upcoming 32nd Annual Acupuncture Association of Colorado Conference being held April 25-26 in Colorado Springs has set an all-time record of 123 attendees for our state conferences! Meeting the venue capacity forced us to cap registration on Saturday when we will be learning from Master Jeffrey Yuen. There are still a few spots open for Sunday's excellent classes with Dr. Daisy Dong and Dr. Butch Levy. Please click here for more information and to register.

The annual conference is held in April for a couple of reasons. In election years, an early conference allows us time to come together as a group to hear about issues and candidates that effect acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in time to take action. We also hope by following spring break time, the April conference finds many people in town and able to attend. Our conference is the one fundraiser that, added to membership dues, keeps us going.

The annual business meeting of the Association being held during lunch on Saturday is a requirement of our by-laws and the one opportunity each year that we have as a group to learn what is happening legislatively for our profession, to brainstorm, and set goals.

I look forward to spending time together as a group and learning new things from the great line-up of speakers we have scheduled. See you in April!

Kind regards,

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac.
Community Committee & Conference Chair

Fundraising Report - Power Point Acupuncture Presentation on USB Flash Drive!

Sue West

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2015 AAC Conference; we are all very excited about our speakers and the entire event!  I want to thank so many people who have put this together, but especially Stephanie Shober─ she has put her heart and soul into this conference.

With the opportunity to see so many of you, I will be introducing our new fundraiser this year:

USB flash drives pre-loaded with ways to educate your community! The drives will be available for a minimal donation. If you will not be able to attend the conference but would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at  Fundraising@acucol.com.

On the 4GB flash drives we have included:

- A customizable Power Point Presentation about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- Documents for you, your patients, professional contacts and community
- Media coverage on Acupuncture
- Patient education for display in your front office
- The opportunity to add additional material that we will forward as it becomes available

Of course at the conference we will also be highlighting our continuing opportunities with Zen Vault, which offers secure storage and transmittal of medical records, and Banctek, offering low-cost merchant credit card processing services. Please visit Mark VanOtterloo and me at the Fundraising Table along with our other Vendors. I look forward to seeing you all.

Warm Regards,

Sue West, L.Ac.
303-681-8856
Fundraising@acucol.com

Public Relations Report - Opportunities to Boost Your and the AAC's PR

Jacqui Strike

I am encouraged and astonished at how vibrant our Acupuncture community has become. It is fantastic to see the droves of volunteers pouring out to educate and assist our communities through the 9 News Health Fair and The CAMRC (Colorado Acupuncture Medical Reserve Corps).

My term on the Board of the AAC is drawing to a close. If you are an enthusiastic self-starter, I encourage you to apply to head the PR department by writing me at PRCOMM@acucol.com.

In this position you will be a member of the AAC board for the next 3 years and your tasks will include creating and managing the subcommittees that oversee The 9 News Health Fair, AOM Day, Social Media (Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Yahoo groups). Bring your new blood to the table. This position has been extremely rewarding for me over the last 3 years. I shall value and cherish all the friendships and connections I have forged. I have no doubt I shall always be an integral and reliant volunteer for the AAC and I look forward to passing on my knowledge to the new PR Chairperson.

The 9 News Health Fair is great way to connect with Healthcare leaders in your community as well as an ideal opportunity to introduce your clinic to patients in your community. The Aurora, Mississippi Avenue Baptist church (Mississippi and I-225), needs a volunteer for the Tuesday, April 21^st  Fair from 7am to noon. You may sign up here or email me for more information at PRCOMM@acucol.com.

Thanks to all the volunteers who are serving their community and spreading the good word about acupuncture.

Wishing you enthusiasm and exceptional health,

Jacqui Strike, L.Ac.
Public Relations Committee Chair
720-514-0693
PRComm@acucol.com

Communications Co-Chair Report - Can You Help With Our Phone Tree Project?

Sa'bura Goodban

Thank you to all the "phone tree-ers" who have helped us as we update our email list for all acupuncturists practicing in Colorado. DORA (the Department of Registrations) does not provide us with emails, so we are collecting them one phone call at a time. Our project is not yet complete, but we are on our way. Please forgive us if you receive a call and you are already get our emails, we do our best to use up-to-date records. Always let us know if you change your contact information so we can keep our list current and keep you informed.

Being a "phone tree-er" is a valuable asset to the AAC; it allows us to contact many people in a short time. If you would like to become a volunteer "phone tree-er", you can call or email me using the contact information below. You will also have an opportunity to sign up if you are attending our conference at the end of the month. At last year’s conference a Legislative Phone Tree project was initiated. If you were on that list and wish to volunteer again, we thank you and ask that you sign up anew. We understand that events happen in our lives that keep us from having extra time to devote to a volunteer project, so if you sign up and for some reason aren’t able to help when called upon, please let us know. Thank you for your support of our profession!

Blessings,

Sa'bura Goodban, L.Ac.
Communications Co-Chair
917-664-9782
Comm.CoChair@acucol.com

Your Free Download of the
Spring Issue of Meridians Journal is Ready!

The spring issue, v. 2 #2, of Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is now online! This and all issues are available free to you as a valuable benefit as an AAC member. To access your download just create a new account at their websiteand self-certify that you are a member of a State Association. You will be able to place an "order" for the zero-cost PDF downloads. You do not have to do this for each issue, just for the first time you access them. After initially registering, all you have to do is log in when a new issue is uploaded.

If you have any questions about access to the online issues, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Brian Smither, at webmaster@meridiansjaom.com. He will be happy to assist you so you can read this issue and all issues of Meridians JAOM.

Colorado Acupuncture Medical Reserve Corps

Update and Upcoming May & June Trainings

 

2015 has already been an amazing and eventful year for the CAMRC. February marked the one-year anniversary since forming the first nationally-recognized acupuncture-only Medical Reserve Corps in the United States. Our volunteer membership has grown quickly and steadily, and now includes over 70 Colorado Acupuncturists and other NADA-certified practitioners.

Last month, the CAMRC offered its first Durango-area training with the help of the amazing Durango Acupuncture Alliance. We appreciate the show of support from everyone who participated and extend a warm welcome to our newest members in Southwest Colorado!

In May and June of this year, we will be offering two more trainings in Denver and Colorado Springs.  Each weekend course will prepare volunteers to participate in a CAMRC disaster relief effort. The training will cover the structure of the unit, the mobilization process, the logistics of setting up and operating a mobile disaster relief clinic, the roles volunteers may find themselves in, as well as information on the NADA protocol. The training also includes a bonus 3-hour ICS 100/700 level course and certification for FEMA's Incident Command System basic instruction (a requirement for CAMRC membership). As always, these trainings are complimentary and offer 10 CEU's. What's not to love?

Please stop by and talk to us at the CAMRC booth at the upcoming conference in April with the AAC, to whom we owe tons of gratitude for their help and tireless efforts to support the practice of acupuncture in Colorado. Find out more about the organization and what you can do to support public health, your profession and your community!

Use Your AAC Member Benefits!

The AAC is always looking for new benefits to offer members that increase the value of your membership. In addition to keeping our "fingers on the pulse" (so to speak) of important issues affecting the practice of acupuncture in our state and advocating for your profession in the legislature, some your current benefits are:

• Discounted CEU seminars (All seminars announced on the AAC list offer at least a 10% discount to AAC members.)
• Discounted registration on all AAC conferences
• Discounts with AcupunctureMediaWorks.com (10% off first order / 5% off all other orders)
• Low-cost merchant credit card services with Banctek
• 20% off premium personal medical records storage and transmittal with Zen Vault for you and your patients with code AAC20
• $15 discount on a one-year listing with alternativesforhealing.com
• 5% discounts with purchases from OMS/Lhasa, Blue Poppy and Redwing Books
• 6% Discount on Malpractice Insurance from Wood Insurance Group (Professional Members only)
• Free digital copy of Meridians, a quarterly peer-reviewed Oriental Medicine journal  (See announcement above)
• We are currently in negotiations with Colorado Medical Waste to provide affordable Sharps disposal for our members that is more environmentally sustainable while being price competitive with mail-away disposal. Stay tuned for more information!

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AAC Membership

There are options to becoming a member of the AAC. You can make a once yearly payment or use our automatic monthly payment option. Click on the link below. The PayPal option is fully-functional and we appreciate your patience as we continue to work to rectify any difficulties you may experience with our other payment options. 

 

BECOME A MEMBER!

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Charissa Haines at the AAC Office at 303-572-8744 or email at info@acucol.com

Jeffrey Yuen to Headline the 32nd Annual AAC Conference!

The AAC is pleased to announce information for the 2015 Annual Conference to be held April 25^th - 26^th at the beautiful Embassy Suites in Colorado Springs. 12 PDAs will be offered (NCCAOM pending).

Conference Presenters

Master Jeffrey Yuen

Jeffrey Yuen is one of the most sought after speakers on Chinese Medicine throughout the world. He is an 88th generation Daoist priest from the Jade Purity School, Lao Tzu sect and a 26th generation priest of the Complete Reality School, Dragon Gate sect. He apprenticed for more than 20 years in Classical Chinese Medicine and other Daoist healing arts with Master Yu Wen, who transmitted his lineage to Master Yuen before Master Wen’s death at the age of 108. He is recognized internationally as a Master of Acupuncture, Classical Chinese Medicine, Daoism, Chinese Herbology, Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong. He emphasizes the importance of Daoism in cultivating one's life and spirit to maintain health, and the use of Chinese Medicine for understanding and treating illness.

Master Yuen conveys Chinese Medicine from a deeply spiritual perspective rooted in Daoism. His ability to elucidate and bridge western medical thought within the context of Chinese medicine offers an essential clarity to his students. Currently he lives in New York where he is president of the International Tai Chi Institute, and maintains a private practice with a special focus on helping people with cancer. He will be discussing the Chinese concept of Wind and how it relates to western Psycho-Neurology.

Daisy Dong, OMD, L.Ac.
Daisy Dong is the senior Chinese medicine practitioner and the first hired clinician of the Integrative Medicine Program of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Dong received her medical training from the Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and finished fellowship at Dongzhimen Hospital for Acupuncture. She also received three Master degrees in International Health, Health Administration and Oriental Medicine in the United States.

Dr. Dong has been a professor at Southwest College of Acupuncture for 14 years teaching Clinical Herbal Pharmacology and Integrative Traumatology. She has been a clinical faculty member of the University of Colorado School of Medicine teaching Integrative Medicine since 2005. Her background includes training and experience in all components of TCM including acupuncture, herbology, Tui Na, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, in addition to allopathic general medicine. She will be sharing her practical experience for running an effective evidence-based practice.

Butch Levy, MD, L.Ac.
Butch Levy is an integrative practitioner: board certified in Family Medicine and NCCAOM certified in Acupuncture. Dr. Levy has been in private practice for 37 years, including care from obstetrics and pediatrics to geriatrics and hospice care. In the late 1980’s Dr. Levy attended acupuncture school, completing many of the classes, but apprenticed with and was mentored by Miki Shima to complete his requirements for certification.

Dr. Levy’s training in Chinese Medicine is in the Japanese style of herbal diagnosis using abdominal patterns, Fukushin, and his acupuncture style is distinctly toward The Extra Vessel and Divergent Channels. Dr. Levy’s current practice integrates allopathic care with Chinese medicine and Functional Nutritional Medicine, bridging east and west with comprehensive, practical approaches to illness. He sees a wide variety of patients, and his focus of interest is toward complex chronic disease including supportive care for cancer and autoimmunity. Dr. Levy will present an overview of his style of care with a direction toward explaining his approach using the Japanese training he has been most fortunate to receive from Dr. Shima.

Conference Schedule
Saturday, April 25
7:00 – 8:00      Breakfast* / Visit Vendors
8:00 – 9:00      Registration / Visit Vendors
9:00 – 12:30    Jeffrey Yuen
Contemporary Problems: Chinese Medicine & Psycho-Neurology
12:30 – 2:00    Complimentary Lunch / Acupuncture Association of Colorado Annual Meeting
2:00 – 6:30      Jeffrey Yuen
Contemporary Problems: Chinese Medicine & Psycho-Neurology, continued
6:30 – 7:30      Post Conference Complimentary Embassy Suites Evening Reception**

Sunday, April 26
7:00 – 8:30      Breakfast* / Visit Vendors
8:30 – 12:00    Daisy Dong
An Effective Evidence-Based Acupuncture Practice
12:00 – 1:00    Complimentary Light Lunch / Visit Vendors
1:00 – 3:00      Butch Levy
An Overview of the Japanese Approach to Complex Chronic Diseases

*Complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is for conference attendees lodging at the Embassy Suites.

** Complimentary Evening Reception is for conference attendees lodging at the Embassy Suites.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR TO SEE MORE INFORMATION!

Lodging
The Embassy Suites
7290 Commerce Center Drive
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919

• The AAC has arranged a suite room rate of $99/night beginning Friday, April 24. Please make your reservation before Wednesday, March 25 to guarantee a suite at this rate.
• The $99 rate includes a two room suite with one king or two queen sized beds and a living room, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, complimentary evening reception, and complimentary parking.
• Check in time is 3PM. Check out time is 12PM.
• To make your reservation, please call 800-362-2779. The event name is “2015 AAC Annual Conference,” or use the following link:

LINK TO EMBASSY SUITE

Please watch your email and snail mail for registration invitations and fun incentives!

Stephanie Shober, L.Ac.
Conference Chair – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
ConferenceComm@acucol.com

WE APPRECIATE OUR EXHIBITORS!

Thanks to Golden Flower Chinese Herbs for being one of our conference sponsors.  Golden Flower Chinese Herbs will be showcasing their latest Chinese herbal formulas and a fabulous line of artisan-quality essential oils. Enter the raffle at their booth for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate for the GFCH formulas of your choice during the drawing at Sunday's lunch break!

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We also thank Blue Poppy for being one of our conference sponsors.  They offer herbal formulas at a price you can afford! They will be sponsoring Saturday's lunch!

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Message from the President – Working for Change

Happy New Year!!!  As we move in to a new year it brings new opportunities. I appreciate everyone's patience as we have worked diligently to resolve the issues surrounding injection therapy. We have started a process that will once again allow acupuncturist to procure substances for injection and hopefully prevent this issue from happening in the future. It has been a long and difficult process that has involved multiple meetings with DORA, the medical society, and the pharmacy board. Again, we have come up with a solution that should permanently rectify the situation. I ask for your continued patience as we work to implement this solution.

Dry Needling has continued to be at the top of our agenda. The AAC considers dry needling to be an acupuncture technique and strongly objects to anyone practicing it who does not explicitly have the right to perform acupuncture within their scope of practice.  Again, with this new year come new opportunities to protect our patients and ensure that acupuncture is only practiced by qualified practitioners. But we cannot do it without your help and support.

The only way that we can fight these battles and protect our scope of practice is through the physical and financial support of our members. We have an amazing lobbyist who is helping to educate our state representatives on the problems we are facing. We also have an extremely talented lawyer who has been working with the AAC for years and is very familiar with the legal arguments regarding dry needling. While everyone on the board is a volunteer, our lobbyist and lawyer are not. We cannot effect change without their help, and we cannot utilize their expertise without a strong membership base and financial support.

If you are tired of other professions ignorantly using our medicine and you want to utilize the full scope of your training, I strongly encourage you to come to our conference. Learn how you can take an active role in furthering our profession. Invite your friends to come. Encourage other acupuncturists to become members. It is only through unity that we will survive and thrive.

As always, I am happy to answer questions about what steps we are taking. Don't hesitate to reach out, and I look forward to seeing you in April.

Scott Richardson, L.Ac.
President – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
President@acucol.com

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Vice President’s Report – Council of State Associations

The AAC continues to stay involved at the national level. We will be sending two reps to the annual CSA (Council of State Associations) meeting in March. The collaboration and support that we gain from attending these meetings empowers our board to be more efficient and effective for you, our members.

The CSA began as an informal networking group of state association presidents that met during annual AOM conferences. The presidents would explore issues facing their states and offer support and solutions to one another. This evolved into a more formally structured meeting referred to as the President’s Council (PC). Eventually, as additional state leaders began to join in, the PC expanded to include non-president representatives. It ultimately developed a charter, bylaws, code of conduct, and a new name: the Council of State Associations (CSA). The CSA has grown to be a collaboration among 37 state associations, representing the most inclusive umbrella yet achieved in our profession. The AAC has been involved with this group since its inception and feels it’s important to continue to be involved on behalf of Colorado acupuncturists.

As we announced last fall, the CSA is supporting a peer-reviewed journal, Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As a member of the AAC we are providing you with a pdf download of the Fall issue here: Meridians Journal Fall issue. When updates to our AAC website are complete we will be providing login and password information for future issues in the members’ area.

The editors of Meridians are accepting submissions for their Clinical Pearls section on the topic of Thoracic Pain by February 1^st, 2015. Please see their website http://www.meridiansjaom.com/ for more information.

I look forward to seeing you all in Colorado Springs for a fantastic conference!

 Kimberley Benjamin, L.Ac.
Vice President – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
VicePresident@acucol.com

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Treasurer Report – Technical Difficulties Being Addressed

You’ve heard the saying, “Whatever can go wrong, will.” While in the process of doing some essential website updates that certainly seems to have been true for us. We are still working out some kinks including issues with processing credit cards through authorize.net. PayPal is working fine. This should all be fixed soon, but we are so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused many of you. We are grateful to have you as fellow members, and we thank you for your patience as we diligently work within our budget to correct the problems.

Here are some of the improvements we are making: We've updated our current website as a temporary fix until we can budget in a new one that is "more responsive," as our developer likes to say. We've also switched one of our payment processors to BancTek, who is giving us excellent rates and customer service. Another update is to our membership software, which was very outdated and starting to cause problems. Last but not least, we've hired a new bookkeeper, who specializes in non-profits and will be a great asset to keeping the AAC running smoothly.

Again, we are sorry for the inconvenience, and we thank you for your patience as we continue working to improve your state association. See you in April at the conference!

Katie Robinette, L.Ac.
Treasurer – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
Treasurer@acucol.com

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 Legislation Report – 2014 Election Recap

The AAC would like to thank all of the members who contributed their hard earned money in the waning days of the election. With your help and that of our friends at Blue Poppy and CSTCM we raised a few thousand dollars in a very short period of time. It enabled us to make a strong statement to officials that we deeply care about the advancement of the profession of acupuncture. And, we all voted—right?

The AAC would also like to congratulate all of the candidates who won state house and senate seats in the November 4, 2014 election. Of the 20 candidates we supported, 15 retained or gained seats in the house and senate. We look forward to productive and meaningful relationships with all of them. Though many obstacles have been overcome by acupuncturists, many challenges lie ahead in this legislative session. With your continued membership support and participation our voices will be heard. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to me at the conference in April!

George Graf, L.Ac.
Legislative Committee Chair– Acupuncture Association of Colorado
LegislativeComm@acucol.com

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The 9News Health Fairs Are Coming!!  Educate Your Community and Grow Your Practice!!

One of the best ways to create awareness of our amazing medicine is to reach out to our communities. Yes, it is that time of year again. The 9News health fairs run from late March through April in various locations across Colorado. These fairs are Interactive Educational Centers (IECs) that are comprised of many different local and statewide organizations. They provide a wide range of health, wellness and safety information and education for the community. They draw thousands of participants—prospective patients!—every year.

This is an excellent no-cost opportunity to get your name and face out into the community. I encourage everyone who has not reached full capacity in their practice to seek out the 9 News Health Fair in their area and volunteer to represent your profession through the AAC. I will be posting available health fairs both on the AAC Yahoo group and the AAC Facebook page as I receive invites. Donating your time to this worthy cause will help people understand our medicine while gaining valuable exposure for your practice. Sign up with a friend and make a fun day of it! The AAC will equip you with a 9News Health Fair Kit. Please contact me if you are interested. Then you can tell me your success story at the conference at the end of April!

Jacqui Strike, L.Ac.
Public Relations Committee Chair – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
PRComm@acucol.com

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Student Rep Report – Student Survey Forum at CSTCM

ATTENTION STUDENTS!!

We have created a brief survey for the acupuncture student population of Colorado. We are trying to get an overview of how the students perceive the AAC as a whole and what types of services you expect from your state association. There will be a forum on Saturday, February 7th, at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Denver at 12:00 p.m. to introduce the survey. Lunch will be provided as well as an opportunity to ask the president of the AAC any questions you may have. If you can't make it to the forum do not fret, there will be a copy of the survey on Survey Monkey that you can take to help us in our quest for understanding. The link will be released in a few weeks. Thank you in advance for giving us your time and opinions as the more students who respond, the better the AAC can endeavor to meet your needs. Have an excellent semester and stay sharp!

Brittney Chowning, CSTCM Student
Student Representative – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
StudentRep@acucol.com

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AAC Membership

There are options to becoming a member of the AAC. You can make a once yearly payment or use our automatic monthly payment option. Click on the link below. The PayPal option is fully-functional and we appreciate your patience as we continue to work to rectify any difficulties you may experience with our other payment options.

 BECOME A MEMBER!

Volume 10 / Issue 4 / October 2014

The mission of the AAC is to provide a unified voice to practitioners and students of AOM by involving and
communicating with members, educating the public, and influencing legislation to promote and protect AOM
in Colorado.

Message from the President –
An Opportunity for Change

It is rare that a week goes by and I don’t get a phone call or an email from a practitioner asking what can be done to improve an issue within our scope of practice. Right now, during this election period, every single one of us has the opportunity to let our voice be heard and help improve how our medicine is perceived and practiced in our state. We each need to learn about who is running in our area. Who is the better candidate? Who will cultivate an environment that allows us to treat our patients the best way we know how and to have a thriving practice? Please read the Legislative Chair’s report below to see key districts in this election and use ballotpedia.org to find out if you reside in one of them.

Our organization is not as big as, and does not have the funding of the other medical associations. We cannot make the same size donations that they can. The best way we can let our voice be heard is by people volunteering with a candidate and walking his or her area. It provides an opportunity to learn who your representatives are and to let them learn about who we are as a profession. We are getting calls almost daily from campaigns asking if we are going to contribute again to specific candidates. Believe me when I say that they remember who donated and volunteered when it comes time to vote on a piece of legislation. We need as many of you out there as possible representing our profession and helping to move it forward.

The AAC needs to make more donations before the election. If you can contribute any amount at all to help us make an impact, please use this secure PayPal button.

We have a big year coming up. There are problems that need to be fixed and we have an amazing group of people working to make that happen. If there are issues coming up that you don’t like, please help us make a change. If you want to see this powerful medicine be more fully utilized within our healthcare system, help us make that happen. We cannot do it alone. We are here to represent you and the only way we can do that effectively is if you work with us.

Again, we have an amazing group of professionals on the AAC board. I feel honored to have the opportunity to work with them. If you don’t know who we are, or don’t know the issues we are facing, please—come to a meeting, introduce yourself, and take an active role in our profession.

Scott Richardson, M.S., L.Ac.
President – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
President@acucol.com

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Legislation Report –
November 4^th Election Alert!

There are many tight legislative races in Colorado this election and the AAC is doing all we can for state legislative candidates who advocate for acupuncturists. In August Leo Boyle (our awesome lobbyist) and I went to a fundraising event in downtown Denver that was well attended by many of the candidates who support acupuncturists. We handed out our budgeted $2000 in campaign contributions to key candidates to remind them we are here and want to be counted. Unfortunately that amount is a drop in the bucket compared to other organizations that were giving the maximum amount of $400 per candidate. Our budget only allowed us to give half that to the candidates at this event (and there are others who are calling daily to ask if we can support them again this year). This was a soft touch event and I was still able to bend the ears of several candidates, reminding them of our continued plights: fighting professional discrimination, not being able to procure injectables, getting to the table to achieve essential health benefit status and the dry needling controversy—I was a bit of a nudge.

Now that we have dipped as deeply as we could into our coffers, we are asking you, AAC members, to contact campaigns in your districts and give your time by phone banking, giving a personal money contribution or door knocking. This would be great exposure for us professionally and can really make a difference for these legislative campaigns that operate on shoestring budgets. The election is just a few weeks away and the candidates in your districts can really use your help in the home stretch.

Here is a list of candidates in key races that you can contact. Their websites are easy to find by searching their names. You can use www.ballotpedia.org to easily find out if you reside in one of these key senate and house districts.

Rhonda	Fields	rhonda.fields.house@state.co.us	303-866-3911	HD 42
Joann	Ginal	joann.ginal.house@state.co.us	303-866-4569	HD 52
Jenise	May	jenise.may.house@state.co.us	303-866-2945	HD 30
Elizabeth	McCann	beth.mccann.house@state.co.us beth@bethmccann.org	303-866-2959	HD 8
Dianne	Primavera	dianne.primavera.house@state.co.us	303-866-4667	HD 3
Jonathan	Singer	jonathan.singer.house@state.co.us	303-866-2780	HD 11
Dave	Young	dave.young.house@state.co.us dave@repdaveyoung.com	303-866-2929	HD 50
Irene	Aguilar	irene.aguilar.senate@state.co.us	303-866-4852	SD 32
Jeanne	Nicholson	jeanne.nicholson.senate@state.co.us	303-866-4873	SD 16
Leroy	Garcia	leroy.garcia.house@state.co.us	303-866-2968	HD 46
Tracy	Kraft Tharp	reptracy29@gmail.com	303-866-2950	HD 29
Mike	Foote	mike.foote.house@state.co.us	303-866-2920	HD 12
Su	Ryden	su.ryden.house@state.co.us	303-866-2942	HD 36
Mike	McLachlan	mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us	303-866-2914	HD 59
Max	Tyler	max@maxtyler.us	303-866-2951	HD 23
Judy	Solano	judysolano4senate@gmail.com		SD 24
Rachel	Zenzinger	SenatorRachelZ@gmail.com	303-866-4840	SD 19
Pete	Lee	pete.lee.house@state.co.us	303-866-2932	HD 18

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you.

George Graf, MTOM, L.Ac.
Legislative Committee Chair
LegislativeComm@acucol.com
(719) 278-9696

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Treasurer Report – Political Contributions Limited by Low Funds

In this election year our lobbyist Leo Boyle carefully chose candidates for our $2,000 contribution budget this year. He requested an extra $3,000 to keep our contributions on par with the physical therapists and chiropractors. Unfortunately, we were unable to comply. These other organizations have triple the membership and higher dues than we have. Our political fund consists of half of the dues we collect. We use this fund to pay our lobbyist, to pay our lawyers when they are combating issues such as dry needling, and also for campaign contributions to keep our interests in our legislators’ minds. In Colorado we still have 70 percent of acupuncturists who are not yet members of the AAC. Please help us spread the word that their support would make a big difference!

I once again want to thank all board members for a terrific job. Their work shows on the home page of the AAC website, it shows on YouTube, it shows on Facebook, and we are showing all of this to the public. BRAVO!

Katie Robinette, L.Ac.
Treasurer – Acupuncture Association of Colorado
Treasurer@acucol.com

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Fundraising Chair Report

The Fundraising committee has been busy promoting classes through Standard Process with Michael Gaeta as the presenter. June’s class on the Thyroid was held at SWAC, September’s class on the Autoimmune System was just held in Castle Rock, and we can look forward to the class on the Cardiovascular System October 29th at CSTCM. These classes have been fundraisers for us. With the money made we will be able to provide public forums on acupuncture at libraries, “lunch and learn” classes at key businesses, and education on the benefits of our services to insurance companies. We are currently developing a PowerPoint presentation to allow anyone to be able to present, educate, and spread the word.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Angie Pierce, Deb and David Martin and Mark VanOtterloo for coming forward to volunteer their services to the AAC board and its committees. This is a great time for our profession and a great opportunity to serve on the board, so again, I thank you.

Sue West, MA, L.Ac.
Fundraising Chair
Fundraising@acucol.com

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It’s Not Too Late to Promote AOM DAY and Revitalize Your Practice!

As you probably already know, AOM Day is observed nationally on October 24^th as part of an effort to increase public awareness of the progress, promise, and benefits of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Both Governor Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock have proclaimed October 24^th as Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day in Colorado again this year.

The Colorado Acupuncture Association would like to see as many events in the state as possible during October. You don’t have to stick with one day! Several marketing packets have been created to help you generate campaigns. Consider putting an event together yourself, or join with other practitioners in your area. In these toolkits are helpful descriptions for setting up health fairs and how to re-activate your patient contacts. You can download them all here Free Toolkits. Click here AOM Day for more information.

The Council of State Associations has prepared materials to help us all implement a National AOM Day Outreach Campaign. Click here to download the Council of State Associations’ Outreach Toolkit.

Acupuncture Media Works has been a generous supporter of this event. They have been instrumental in the creation of a free marketing kit and will donate profits to the Council of State Associations from the sale of AOM Day brochures that you can personalize with your clinic name.

We want to hear back from everyone what events you are planning. AAC Members can post on the Yahoo Group email what you are offering so we have a full calendar of events listed on our website. You can also submit your event to be listed on the national AOM Day website. Let’s see how big an impact we can make!

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Zombie Apocalypse!

Halloween morning Friday, October 31^st, Longmont United Hospital will hold a mock disaster drill with the theme of “Zombie Apocalypse”. The drill, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will simulate an authentic zombie Armageddon, complete with moulage and tons of fun! The Colorado Acupuncture Medical Reserve Corps has been invited to set up a disaster clinic at the event, and volunteers are needed to treat an estimated 100 people with the NADA protocol. ANY Colorado licensed acupuncturist may participate; you do not need to be a CAMRC member to volunteer.

Please contact Monica Edlauer if you are willing to brave the zombie apocalypse!

CONTACT THE FOLLOWING

Monica Edlauer, MSOM, L.Ac.
boulderacupuncture@comcast.net
(303) 859-7556

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AAC Membership

There are options to becoming a member of the AAC. You can make a once yearly payment or use our automatic monthly payment option. Click on the link below.

BECOME A MEMBER!