Futures Advisory Committee Updates – September 2017

1. Faculty membership outreach letter was sent to California Acupuncture Schools to announce CSOMA’s new Faculty Membership Benefits and discounted fee for membership.
2. Student membership drive to promote CSOMA and newly listed benefits of membership: Powerpoint slideshow was completed so Board Members can tour California Acupuncture Schools to educate students on how they can support their CA Association, who CSOMA is and why it is important to get involved. A schedule of when CSOMA Board of Directors will be coming to each CA School will be posted on csomaonline.org website in the next month.
3. Futures Committee is keeping up to date on the most recent challenges and trends with the AOM profession, by structuring interviews to educate our membership on recent changes or issues affecting our profession:
   1. The Futures Committee reached out to the scheduler of Congresswoman Rep. Judy Chu, regarding H.R. 2839 Acupuncture for Heroes and Seniors Act, to gain more insight on the recent changes of the Bill, and to educate our supporters and members. We would like to host an interview to get more acquainted with the Bill language and history.
   2. The Futures Committee is in the process of scheduling an online Q&A with the California Acupuncture Board, to answer several questions for both our student and faculty members regarding the NCCAOM and CALE Exam.
   3. Correspondence was sent to USC Kinesiology Department Dean regarding: Alleged Dry Needling taking place at USC. A letter was sent to the Department of Kinesiology re: the concern that Dry needling was being performed by unlicensed practitioners/PT’s/students. Based on the information that was received from the Department, a Licensed Acupuncturist/Chiro was demonstrating acupuncture, and explaining the difference of acupuncture vs. dry needling to a class of students, and no students were needling or being taught how to needle. The post on Facebook was titled in error by a student of the course.
4. Futures Committee will be creating two scholarship essay questions for student members of CSOMA for two cash rewards.
5. Futures is drafting correspondences to western medical professionals and government agencies to educate them on the recent opioid addiction crisis to open the discussion on integrative medicine and why acupuncture is beneficial. A White Paper which describes the benefits of Acupuncture for opioid addiction and as an alternative to this epidemic will follow the correspondence.

Interested in joining the Futures Committee? See details here.