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National Certi f ication Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Annual Report

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2009 annual report2

The NCCAOM’s efforts during 2009 continued to

focus on our commitment to upholding and promoting

its standards for certification and providing continued

support for our certification candidates and our Diplomates.

The outcomes of our work were evidenced first and

foremost by the publishing of the expanded examination

content outlines contained in the new NCCAOM® Study

Guides as a result of the 2008 Job Task Analysis (JTA)

survey. In addition to exam development activities, the

Board remained committed to expanding avenues for

demonstrating competency maintenance by Diplomates. The

requirement for all Diplomates to acquire a CPR certificate

during each recertification cycle further highlights the

emphasis on competency in the area of safety. The Board

of Commissioners continues to approve new Professional

Development Activity (PDA) categories that facilitate our

Diplomates meeting their PDA requirements for certification.

The number of active Diplomates continues to grow; as of

December 31, 2009 there were 17,372 certifications held by

over 15,000 active Diplomates in which 1,302 were newly

certified Diplomates. The number of candidates who took

NCCAOM examinations in Acupuncture, Foundations of

Oriental Medicine, and Chinese Herbology was higher in

2009 than in 2008. The number of examinees for the Asian

Bodywork examination was the lowest number since the

examination has been offered. This program will be studied

very closely over the next few years. The percentage of

individuals scheduled to recertify who actually certified in

2009, was less than the previous year. This phenomenon

will also be closely evaluated and studied in the coming

years to address obstacles for Diplomates maintaining

continued competencies.

Diligence in management, tight adherence to policy and

organizational goals have enabled NCCAOM’s financial

health to rebound significantly from the previous two years.

The audited statement of activities and change in net assets

at year-end, December 31, 2009, can be seen in the Financial

Activities section of this report.

Tess HaHn Dr. Kory WarD-CooK

A Message from the NCCAOM Chair and CEO

www.nccaom.org 3

In 2009 a thorough review of all by-laws and governance

policies resulted in a more streamlined set of by-laws and a

more comprehensive governance policy manual. Further,

in the area of governance, the first NCCAOM® Volunteer

Handbook, accompanied by position descriptions for all

Commissioners, officers, committee members and committee

chair positions were published. Another noteworthy activity

that was completed in 2009 was the trademark registration for

all NCCAOM acronyms, logos, and tagline and certification

service marks.

One of the most significant collaborative activities that

occurred in 2009 was the creation of the Acupuncture and

Oriental Medicine (AOM) National Organizations Strategic

Plan. The leadership of the NCCAOM joined with seven

other national organizational leaders to create the plan which

included the following vision statement:

By 2014, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

(AOM), an independent, licensed profession, will be

fully accessible to the public throughout American

health care. The four aggressive goals are to: promote

research, education, public awareness and outreach;

increase job opportunities for AOM graduates in all

health care settings; obtain federal recognition for

the profession; and achieve licensure and parity in 50

states and DC.

The Year in Review, 2009 Highlights section of this 2009

Annual Report summarizes all the accomplishments and

activities of the organization in 2009. We are very pleased

that the governor of Mississippi signed the first state

acupuncture licensing law, which require passing of the

NCCAOM Acupuncture with Point Location, Foundations

of Oriental Medicine and Biomedicine examinations as a

prerequisite for licensure of Acupuncturists.

The wheels are always in motion at the NCCAOM!

The scope of work accomplished the NCCAOM Board,

committee volunteers and staff is truly a matter of

pride. We are committed to ensuring that NCCAOM

continues to meet the highest standard of quality from

a certification organization. The NCCAOM Board and

staff are particularly thankful to all the many talented and

committed volunteers who made all these accomplishments

possible. Please see the list of all the 2009 Board of

Commissioners and Standing Committees in this report.

The Board and staff look forward to working together

with members of the AOM community to continually strive

for excellence and collaborate to meet the new and exciting

challenges that the profession will be undertaking in the

near future.

Tess HaHn, oMD, Dipl. aC. (nCCaoM) Chair of the Board of Commissioners

Kory WarD-CooK, pH.D., Cae Chief exeCutive offiCer

2009 annual report4

~ January ~1. NCCAOM introduces its newly expanded examination content outlines via the NCCAOM® Study Guides. The Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, and Oriental Medicine Study Guides became effective on January 1, 2010. The Study Guides are available via the NCCAOM website.

~ February ~2. Practitioner members of the NCCAOM Board of Commissioners are now appointed to the Board by a majority vote of the Board of Commissioners versus being elected to their seat by Diplomates.

3. The “NCCAOM Consumer Guide to Acupuncture”, an informative brochure to promote the practice of AOM is now available for Diplomates to download or order from the NCCAOM website.

~ March ~4. A new fee structure is implemented for Diplomates renewing their certification and for those who were in lapsed status and wish to become active again.

5. A new professional development online marketing course titled, “Effective Marketing and Lobbying through Your National Certification - an NCCAOM Online Course” is introduced to Diplomates via the NCCAOM website. This informative course helps Diplomates gain the necessary skills to promote their certification and practice as well as how to become more legislative involved to advance the AOM profession.

6. NCCAOM offers the Asian Bodywork Examination.

~ April ~ 7. The NCCAOM Certification Brochures, an attractive and professional brochure for each NCCAOM certification program is offered for the first time. These materials are professionally prepared to make a memorable first impression with patients as well as for meetings and presentations. The NCCAOM Certification Brochures are available for a small fee or free as a download via the NCCAOM website.

8. A new policy requiring a 45-day waiting period in order for a candidate to retake an NCCAOM examination became effective. All candidates who need to retake an NCCAOM examination must now wait 45 days from the previous recorded test.

~ May ~ 9. The NCCAOM partners with Acupuncturists Without Borders to promote the benefits of acupuncture treatment for mental health issues faced by soldiers and veterans through the Military Stress Recovery Project (MSRP).

10. NCCAOM Commissioner Bryn Clark attended and also presented a poster at the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR) Symposium, titled “International Collaborations to Enhance the Science of CAM: Past, Present, and Future”.

~ June ~ 11. The first bill to regulate acupuncture in the state of Mississippi is signed into law by Governor Haley Barbou. This regulation requires the passing of the Acupuncture and Point Location, Foundations, and Biomedicine NCCAOM examinations as a prerequisite for licensure.

~ July ~ 12. The NCCAOM collaborates with the American Traditional Chinese Medicine Society (ATCMS), the Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Associations (CAOMA); and the United Alliance of the New York State Licensed Acupuncturists (UANYSLA) to garner support for the inclusion of acupuncture and Oriental medicine coverage in the United Stated Health Care Reform Bill.

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Year in Review, 2009 Highlights

www.nccaom.org 5

13. A new study released from National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) revealed that the number of visits to acupuncturists and amount of out-of-pocket spending annually for practitioner visits and self care such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong are significantly higher from the previous study released in 2002. Please see press release on the NCCAOM website under “News You Can Use” for additional information.

14. The NCCAOM Lapsed Diplomate Incentive Program is launched. This new policy allows Diplomates who are in lapsed status to take advantage of new requirements to renew their certification allowing them to become active again in a less costly method. Lapsed Diplomates may consult the “NCCAOM Recertification Handbook” for information on NCCAOM recertification requirements.

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~ September ~15. NCCAOM joins seven other national acupuncture and Oriental (AOM) medicine leadership organizations for a historic meeting held in San Francisco, California. The outcome was the creation of the AOM National Organizations Strategic Plan. The collaborative vision statement and strategic goals which were developed collectively by this congregation of AOM leaders are presented in the AOM Strategic Plan.

16. The NCCAOM participates in Acupuncture Awareness Day at the National Foundation for Women Legislators’ (NFWL) Conference prompting women legislators from around the country to recognize AOM as a viable form of medicine in their district.

~ October ~ 17. The NCCAOM officially receives registration of its trademarks from the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). These trademarks to include the NCCAOM logo, tagline, four certification service marks and National Certification and Oriental Medicine acronym must be published or listed with the registered symbol ® to prevent fraud or misuse. The NCCAOM is in the process of registering its credentials (e.g., Diplomate of Acupuncture), a lengthier process, which should be completed by 2011.

~ Throughout 2009 ~18. The NCCAOM is pleased to have provided information and testimony to the following states:

California MississippiConnecticut New York Delaware Ohio Kentucky OregonMassachusetts Texas Michigan Washington Missouri South Dakota

19. NCCAOM attended the following events in 2009 to raised awareness of the value of certification and to promote its Diplomates:

Florida Society of Oriental Medicine Conference (FSOMA), Tampa, FL

American Association for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Conference (AAAOM), Sacramento, CA

National Foundation for Women Legislators Conference, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Pacific Symposium, San Diego, California

2009 annual report6

2009 Board of Commissioners

Tess Hahn, Chairdavid Canzone, Vice Chair michael Garland, Treasurermike mcKeown, Secretary Kory Ward-Cook, CEO susan ChapmanBryn ClarkWeiyi dingBarbara esherdenise HsuJan ste Germaine

2009 sTandinG CommiTTees of THe Board

ExEcutivE committEE Tess Hahn, Chairdavid Canzone, Vice Chairmichael Garland, Treasurermike mcKeown, SecretaryKory Ward-Cook, CEOWeiyi ding, Member-at-Large

FinancE / audit committEE michael Garland, Chairdavid CanzoneJan ste Germainemike mcKeownTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

GovErnancE documEnts committEE mike mcKeown, Chairsusan ChapmanBryn ClarkTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

Board dEvElopmEnt committEE mike mcKeown, Chairsusan ChapmanBryn ClarkWeiyi dingTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

proFEssional Ethics and disciplinary committEE michael Taromina, Chairscott Cormiermichael GarlandCathy GoldsteinValerie Hobbsdenise Hsu

EliGiBility committEE Barbra esher, Chairdaniel JiaoJan ste Germaine, Board LiaisonQi Helen Zhangmary Wu

rEcErtiFication committEEdavid Canzone, Chairmike mcKeownatara noiadefaye schenkmanJan ste Germainemaryanne TravaglioneTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

rEsEarch taskForcE susan Chapman, ChairBryn ClarkWeiyi dingTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

council oF Examination committEE chairs susan ChapmanWeiyi dingBarbra esherJan ste GermaineCathy GoldsteinTess HahnJason Haodenise HsuGene LondonKory Ward-Cook

acupuncturE and point location Exam dEvElopmEnt committEE Jason Hao, Chairdenise Hsu, Board Liaisonruth dalphinJonathan danielLawrence Howardmarian Hughesdavid myrickTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

chinEsE hErBoloGy Exam dEvElopmEnt committEE Weiyi ding, Chair/Board LiaisonYuxin Heanne JeffresQing-Yao shiTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

Foundations oF oriEntal mEdicinE modulE 2009Gene London, ChairJan ste Germaine, Board Liaisondaniel Jiaoshaozhi LiXiaohai LiXiaotian shenTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

BiomEdicinE Exam dEvElopmEnt committEE Cathy Goldstein, Chairsusan Chapman, Board Liaisonelad schiffGreg sperberdennis mosemansteven Giveniman majdJanet ZandTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

asian Bodywork thErapy Exam dEvElopmEnt committEEBarbra esher, Chair/Board Liaisonmichael Casperrylen feeneJoy mcilvaineBrian skowdeborah smithTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

translation suBcommittEE Weiyi ding, Chair/Board Liaisondenise HsuZhen Hu Hong Park sonny KoYoon KwonChristine ChangKunhye GolecTess Hahn, Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Ex-officio

Board of Commissioners and Standing Committees

www.nccaom.org 7

Certification Activities

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

ACUPUNCTURE

CHINESE HERBOLOGY

ORIENTAL MEDICINE**

ASIAN BODYWORK THERAPY

PerCenTaGe of eLiGiBLe diPLomaTes WHo reCerTified (2005–2009)

**oriental medicine certification began in 2004 and the first diplomates of oriental medicine recertified in 2008.

*active status: diplomates who recertify every 4 years are considered to be in active status which demonstrates competency maintenance in their profession.

yEar ac ch om aBt total

CerTifiCaTions BY TYPe HeLd BY aCTiVe diPLomaTes (2004 –2009)*

currEnt cErtiFications By yEar and proGram

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2004 10,622 2,691 184 326 13,823

2005 11,537 2,842 1,039 383 15,801

2006 12,120 2,881 1,644 432 17,077

2007 12,250 2,846 2,622 466 18,184

2008 11,619 2,465 3,150 447 17,681

2009 11,262 2,129 3,558 423 17,372

2009 annual report8

school Fttt = first time test takers from accredited aCaom schools

other Fttt = first time test takers from non-accredited aCaom schools

school rtt = return test takers from accredited aCaom schools

Examination Statistics for 2009Exam numBEr pass minimum maximum mEan standard standard oF Exams ratE % scorE scorE scorE Error dEviation

acupuncturE with point location

aLL TesT TaKers 1605 83.4 16 100 79.03 0.14 10.75

sCHooL fTTT 1250 86.2 22 100 80.23 0.13 10.38

oTHer fTTT 139 77.0 16 100 76.25 0.17 12.61

sCHooL rTT 187 72.2 31 98 74.03 0.13 9.36

BiomEdicinE

aLL TesT TaKers 1915 87.9 22 99 81.65 0.14 10.99

sCHooL fTTT 1615 91.1 22 99 82.88 0.12 10.05

oTHer fTTT 164 68.9 31 98 75.21 0.19 14.23

sCHooL rTT 95 74.7 45 96 75.57 0.15 11.14

chinEsE hErBoloGy

aLL TesT TaKers 873 75.9 27 99 79.13 0.16 12.71

sCHooL fTTT 698 80.1 27 99 80.39 0.16 12.44

oTHer fTTT 60 76.7 41 99 81.17 0.18 14.18

sCHooL rTT 109 50.5 46 94 70.34 0.14 9.94

Foundations oF oriEntal mEdicinE

aLL TesT TaKers 1504 93.0 29 99 82.02 0.10 8.44

sCHooL fTTT 1291 95.0 47 99 82.86 0.09 7.55

oTHer fTTT 139 84.9 30 97 79.36 0.14 11.17

sCHooL rTT 59 72.9 42 89 72.75 0.13 9.29

asian Bodywork thErapy

aLL TesT TaKers 35 80.0 54 89 76.86 0.11 8.69

sCHooL fTTT 8 100.0 75 89 82.25 0.07 5.55

oTHer fTTT 24 79.2 54 88 76.21 0.12 8.90

sCHooL rTT 0 0.0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

www.nccaom.org 9

Financial Activities

During 2009 the NCCAOM continued along a path

of excellent financial health. Frugal management

practices produced a net surplus from operations and

our investment income showed a slow but encouraging

rebound from the previous year’s losses. As a result, the

organization finished 2009 with a healthy balance sheet.

The number of applicants for certification increased in

2009 compared to 2008 leading to higher revenues from

applications and exam administration. The Board of

Commissioners appreciates the hard work of the staff to

function effectively within the bounds of a constrained

budget. This financial performance keeps the NCCAOM

able to serve its dual mission of protecting the public

and promoting professional quality among AOM

practitioners.

MiCHael J. GarlanD treasurer and Chair of the finanCe Committee

REVENUES

examination fees $1,686,940

Practice test fees 62,190

application fees 945,665

recertification fees 600,145

Pda income 81,675

Publication income 17,904

administrative fees 92,875

TOTAL REVENUES $3,487,394

EXPENSES

examination administration costs $1,934,089

recertification costs 312,438

member services costs 362,849

Total direct costs 2,609,376

operating revenue net 878,018

General and administrative costs 548,361

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS BEFORE OTHER INCOME $329,657

OTHER INCOME (LOSS)

investment income $141,980

miscellaneous 4

Total other income (loss) 141,984

Change in net assets 471,641

net assets, beginning of year 3,924,152

NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR $ 4,395,793

sTaTemenTs of aCTiViTies& CHanGes in neT asseTs

Year Ended December 31, 2009

MiCHael GarlanD, Treasurer

2009 annual report10

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

A. misleading/false information 3 3 8 2 4

B. Cheating/examination irregularity 8 9 1 3 1

C. malpractice/negligence 10 11 2 5 2

D. Boundary Violations/Unprofessional Conduct 14 8 10 3 2

E. fraud 6 9 10 3 0

F. Unlicensed activity 3 4 1 6 2

G. Criminal Conviction 4 4 2 5 13

H. fitness to Practice 2 2 0 0 2

I. administrative order from school/Professional association 0 0 0 0 11

J. record Keeping 0 0 0 0 2

A B C D E F G H I J

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0

3

6

9

12

15

PedC Cases: 2005 – 2009

Professional Ethics and Disciplinary Commitee (PEDC) Cases

ComParison of PedC Cases LisTed aBoVe (a – J)

www.nccaom.org 11

last namE First/ middlE nccaom cErtiFication # status

Caporuscio elizabeth L. 12733 suspendedChao Liu 18663 revokedChen decheng 17956 revokedChien Calvin 6973 ProbationChien Calvin 6973 Letter of Censureevans Howard 1191 Voluntary surrenderfrahmand Zalmai 14597 suspendedfreeman dale owens 1317 suspendedfrey Thomas 19176 suspendedGrigoryan Gratch 13583 ProbationGrossberg daniel a. 7483 ProbationGu ding 5441 suspendedGuan Bihong 5972 Voluntary surrender/revocationJoo sun ok 1920 ProbationKao Victor C. 11489 revokedKim Cheol 2044 revokedKim Hyunbae 22890 ProbationKim Hyunbae 22890 Letter of CensureKim suh Kyung 17328 ProbationKlatt frank 12135 Probation Lee William H. 2420 Certification suspended Leibell Jonathan 12738 revokedLiao albert shen-Yen 22229 Censuremai Long Van 4876 suspendedmazurek Bridgette 2798 suspendedmcCormick Terence 6761 Voluntary surrendermeeker stephen 2858 emergency suspensionmorefield ronald L. 17625 Probationoh dae 17577 revokedoh sun 17713 revokedPan Kangmei 6635 ProbationPark Beck sun 23374 revokedrhee Cheong man 23613 revokedreynes Phillip 5718 revokedripplinger Joseph John 19471 suspendedshao Horng-Yuan 11828 Probationson Ka myung 4915 revokedstone Kokoro sensei Craig 5536 revokedsyn samuel s. 3978 revokedWinter Brooke 4393 suspendedWu Helin 15675 ProbationYang Wei/Chen 10122 Probation

nCCaom reserves the right to take disciplinary action against certified practitioners, including but not limited to (i) ineligibility for certification or recertification; (ii) probation pending completion of specified conditions such as monitoring, counseling, or remedial education; (iii) written reprimand (formal expression of disapproval retained in the diplomate’s file but not publicly announced); (iv)censure (formal expression of disapproval that is publicly announced); (v) suspension of certification for a designated period; or (vi) termination/revocation of certification. in accordance with nCCaom’s disciplinary procedures, the following actions have been taken ending december 31, 2009:

Disciplinary Actions

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine76 S. Laura Street, Suite 1290, Jacksonville, FL 32202 U.S.A.

phone: 904-598-1005 fax: 904-598-5001 www.nccaom.org

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