Obama Administration Supports Acupuncture!
This report comes from Dr. Will Morris, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncturist in Texas who heads that State’s Society of Certified Acupuncturists:
“Exciting times are here. I had the privilege of attending the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public, Feb. 25-27 in Washington, DC. There seems to be a change in the weather in terms of health care. President Obama announced a commitment to health reform with budgetary support the night before the summit.”
These changes are significant. There has been a shift of attention on integrative medicine from conversations taking place mainly at the National Center for Alternative and Complimentary Medicine (NCCAM), to a conversation that is at the forefront of IOM work. Many dimensions of integrative medicine were brought forward during the three day conference. IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D. framed the discussion; he described integrated medicine as “orienting the health care process to engage patients and caregivers in the full range of physical, psychological, social, preventive, and therapeutic factors known to be effective and necessary for the achievement of optimal health.”
Acupuncture was addressed in a very favorable light by many of the speakers and panelists. Conditions appear to be favorable for allied professions in general and acupuncture in particular. “Shortages of physicians will force the medical profession to redefine itself in ever more narrow scientific and technological spheres while other disciplines evolve to fill important gaps.” (Cooper and Getzer Health Affairs 2002). In the words of Senator Harkin, who appeared on Friday morning, “Our time has come.”
