3304 Coming of Age for the ACA College of Acupuncture
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Dynamic Chiropractic – March 12, 2006, Vol. 24, Issue 06

Coming of Age for the ACA College of Acupuncture

By Editorial Staff

Submitted by Richard Yennie, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)

The American Chiropractic Association College of Chiropractic Acupuncture (ACA CCA) was formed Oct. 16, 2002, when chiropractic acupuncture leaders were invited to participate in a meeting held on the campus of Cleveland College of Chiropractic - Kansas City.

The meeting was by invitation from Kim Christensen, DC, DACRB, who was the president of the ACA Council of Chiropractic Physiological Therapeutics and Rehabilitation (ACC CCPTR). Our purpose was to create unity within the chiropractic profession, standardize acupuncture instruction, elect a board who would write and administer diplomate examinations, and grant diplomate status for those doctors who qualify and pass the 300-hour chiropractic-acupuncture diplomate examination.

During that first meeting, executive officers for the college were elected:

President: Richard Yennie, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)
Vice president: Jon Sunderlage, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)
Secretary: Zev Myerowitz, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)
Treasurer: Lawrence Beem, DC
Education and quality assurance: Joy Sunderlage, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)
Delphi consensus and special projects: Pat Khan
Research committee: Ralph Barrale, DC

image - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark The ACA CCA bylaws were approved at the September 2003 ACA House of Delegates Meeting in Albuquerque, N.M. With the help of more than 50 doctors nationwide, the "weighting" process was completed for the first chiropractic-acupuncture diplomate exam. In the second and third year, the bylaws for the testing board were written and a testing board was voted in. The officers of the testing board are President Margie Baum, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM); Vice President Douglas Briggs, DC, Dipl. Ac. (IAMA); and Secretary Todd Frisch, DC, FASA, FIACA. Testing board members are Arthur Annis, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM), Jim Bothwell, DC, FASA, Lisa Hart, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM), LAc, and Ellen Howard, DC, Dipl. Ac. (JAMA), CCAc, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM). Testing board alternates are Kathy Boulet, DC, DAAPM, FIACA, Scott Nelson, DC, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM), LAc, and Michael Williams, DC, CCSP, Dipl. Ac. (FIAMA). The lay member is Linda Frisch.

Final modifications of the bylaws for the ACA CCA executive board and testing board were made and approved at the Sept. 21-24, 2005 ACA House of Delegates meeting in St. Paul, Minn. The testing board is in the process of writing the diplomate examinations. The first diplomate exam will be offered at ACA CCA & CCPTR Symposium in 2007.

To date, we have accomplished a tremendous amount of work, with the assistance of the officers from the CCPTR: Kim Christensen, DC, DACRB, past president; Jan Sharp, DC, DACRB, past president; and Don Fedoryk, DC, DACRB, president. The bylaws for the executive board and testing board could not have been completed without the expert advice and hard work of Linda Zange, DC, ACA Board of Governors, district 2.

We are proud to announce the second Annual Chiropractic Acupuncture Symposium, in conjunction with the CCPTR, to be held at Disney World's Swan Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The acupuncture symposium will be held on April 21-22, 2006. Meetings for the CCPTR are scheduled on April 22, with Level 1-3 diplomate testing on April 21-22. (CEUs are available on request.)

Featured speakers on acupuncture are: Dr. Richard Yennie, "Secrets of the Masters"; Dr. Jon Sunderlage, "Auriculotherapy: The Three Phases of Healing"; Dr. Zev Myerowitz, "Taoist Treatment of Internal/Degenerative Conditions Using the Eight Extra Vessels"; Dr. Lawrence Beem, "Implementing Korean Hand Acupuncture Into Your Practice"; Dr. Joy Sunderlage, "Enhancing Fertility: Acupuncture Techniques to Awaken the Fertile Soul"; and Dr. Margie Baum, "History of Acupuncture, From the Earliest Times to Present-Day Research and Practice."

It is important that we as a chiropractic profession protect our rights to utilize acupuncture treatments as an adjunct to chiropractic care. The ACA has enabled us to unify by bringing together chiropractic-acupuncture leadership, which will strengthen our educational needs and provide a source for doctor/patient information and a platform for diplomate testing. As a united group, we can defend our right to include acupuncture procedures if challenged. We believe all professions can and should work harmoniously. Our objective and purpose are to work toward that goal.

We invite all chiropractors who are currently practicing chiropractic-acupuncture to join us by participating as an ACA CCA member with diplomate status. Together, let's move forward with one voice, unified and with a mission to better serve our patients.

For membership and symposium information, please contact Dr. Joy Sunderlage at 847-888-3133, or . You also can download a symposium brochure online at www.ccptr.org.

Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email .

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