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 National
Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to Become
the Regulatory Standard for the State
An arduous, eight-year journey has come to an end for acupuncture and
Oriental medicine practitioners and proponents living in Kentucky.
Governor Ernie Fletcher signed HB17, the state's first law regulating
acupuncture, on April 26, 2006, making Kentucky the 44th state to
implement laws regulating the practice of acupuncture. The law will go
into effect on July 15, 2006, and will require acupuncturists to meet
national standards for education and certification. The successful
passing of the law is credited in part to an intensive grass-roots
campaign that began one year before the 2006 legislative session, and in
part to the cooperation of the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board and the
Kentucky Medical Association (KMA). All parties agreed that "the time
had come" to regulate acupuncture in Kentucky. The new law stipulates
that an Acupuncture Advisory Council be established under the Medical
Licensure Board to oversee certification and regulation of
acupuncturists in the state.
With only 18 practicing acupuncturists in Kentucky, supporters of the
law had meager resources at their disposal. A professional association
-- the Kentucky State Acupuncture Association (KSAA) -- was formed with
the initial mandate of getting an acupuncture-licensing act passed.
Since this was the fourth attempt in eight years, many were not
optimistic. Fortunately, a very capable and sympathetic lobbyist, Oliver
Barber Jr., J.D., stepped forward to assist. Barber worked very closely
with the bill's sponsor, Rep. Denver Butler, to get the bill through
numerous stumbling blocks along the way. The National Certification
Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) was invited to
testify about the importance of implementing and maintaining national
standards for education and certification, an important component of
Kentucky's bill.
"The law will ensure that Kentucky moves into the category of states
that have high standards for acupuncture and Oriental medicine," said
Kory Ward-Cook, chief executive officer of the NCCAOM. "It means
citizens will be better protected and the state will attract top
acupuncturists. When you raise the standards, you attract highly
qualified practitioners."
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine treatment that relies on the
painless but strategic placement of hair-like needles into key points
along meridians that flow through the body. The needles unlock sluggish
or deficient energy and bring balance to the body spiritually, mentally,
physically and emotionally. It is a low-cost, non-invasive treatment
with very little adverse side effects and has been used with great
success for more than 2,000 years!
Today, many patients and doctors consider acupuncture a mainstream
complementary treatment. In fact, according to NCCAOM, one in 10 adults
has had acupuncture, making it one of the most popular forms of
alternative medicine.
Since 1973, when Maryland, Nevada and Oregon became the first states to
pass laws on acupuncture and Oriental medicine, other states have slowly
implemented laws of their own. As of today, there are still six states,
including Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and
Wyoming that have no regulatory laws for the practice of acupuncture. In
most of these states, only physicians and osteopaths, often with little
or no formal education in acupuncture, are allowed to practice. As a
result, healthcare consumers in these states may not experience the full
efficacy of acupuncture treatment. In addition, the healthcare consumer
is potentially placed at risk for treatment received from an unqualified
individual who claims to be an acupuncturist. Without regulation, the
public has no way to confirm whether a practitioner is qualified or not.
"Acupuncture is a well-regulated, well-established profession in the
rest of the nation," said Shelley Ochs, president of the Kentucky State
Acupuncture Association. "I'm pleased to say that I can now practice my
profession in Kentucky, where I was born and raised, as I would be
entitled to do in 43 other states."
Along with the help from other Kentucky practitioners, particularly Mimi
Tagher and Jeffrey Russell, Ochs worked tirelessly for the passage of
this legislation. She testified before the House and Senate Committees
on Licensing and Occupation, outlining the need for acupuncture to be
recognized and licensed in the state of Kentucky and citing specific
examples where acupuncture has resulted in clinical success stories that
dramatically impacted the lives of patients.
Ochs said all states should not only pass the necessary laws, but should
also designate NCCAOM certification as the requirement for determining
entry-level competence. NCCAOM is recognized in 97 percent of the states
that regulate acupuncture.
About the NCCAOM
The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine (NCCAOM) is a non-profit organization established in 1982. Its
mission is to establish, assess and promote recognized standards of
competence and safety in acupuncture and Oriental medicine for the
protection and benefit of the public.
It is a considerable professional achievement to earn the designation "Diplomate
in Acupuncture (NCCAOM)." NCCAOM certification indicates to employers,
patients and peers that one has met national standards for the safe and
competent practice of acupuncture as defined by the profession. The
first NCCAOM Comprehensive Written Examination (CWE) in Acupuncture (ACP)
was given in March 1985. Since its inception, the NCCAOM has issued more
than 25,000 certificates in Acupuncture, Oriental Medicine, Chinese
Herbology and Asian Bodywork Therapy.
For more information on the NCCAOM, please visit its Web site at
www.nccaom.org. [TOP] |
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