®

National Certification Commission For Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

2012 Annual Report

A Year of New Beginnings

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Public Protection Through Quality Credentials®

1

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

The NCCAOM has adopted the following core values for the organization:

•TESTINGEXCELLENCE

Our organizational mission drives us to produce valid and reliable measurements of competence in AOM practitioners who seek certification from us.

•SERVICE

• Public Protection: We are committed to safeguarding the public from practitioners who have not demonstrated their competence.

• Public Benefit: We are committed to making available to the public reliable information that will help them to enjoy the benefits of health services from competent AOM practitioners.

• Diplomates: We are committed to improving the reputation for excellence of AOM practitioners who have demonstrated competence through our certification processes.

•INTEGRITY

We are committed to upholding basic societal norms of truthfulness and honesty in all our organizational words and deeds.

Mission

The mission of the NCCAOM®

is to establish, assess, and

promote recognized standards

of competency and safety in

acupuncture and Oriental

medicine (AOM) for the

protection and benefit of

the public.

The NCCAOM carries out its mission in the following ways:

• Documenteligibilitytositforcompetency examinations, passage of which is required for certification.

• Developvalidandreliablecertificationexaminations administered in a highly secure test centers.

• Requiredemonstrationofcompetencymaintenance and ongoing professional development through the recertification process, required every four years.

• RequireadherencetotheNCCAOM® Code of Ethics, enforced by the NCCAOM® Grounds for Disciplinary Action.

• Workcloselywithstateregulatoryboards for the exchange of information on examination score reports and disciplinary cases.

•TRUST

We are committed to promoting an organizational environment that allows those who work for NCCAOM to rely on one another to accomplish the tasks required by our mission. We maintain the same commitment in our joint activities with other organizations with whom we collaborate for the betterment of the AOM community.

•LEADERSHIP

We are committed to acting responsibly to advance the interests of the AOM community through our certification process. We understand our leadership to be inseparable from our mission of service to the public and to the AOM community.

•COMMUNITY

• Volunteerism: We are committed to engaging AOM practitioners and other public member volunteers in the activities necessary to keep our certification exams and processes relevant to the state of the art of AOM.

• Charitable Support: We are committed to being a responsible corporate member of the larger community in which we live and serve.

Core Values

2

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

A Message from the Chair and CEO of NCCAOM®

KORYWARD-COOKCEO

DAVIDCANZONECHAIR

A s we look back over the accomplishments of the NCCAOM during 2012, it is very revealing that 2012wastheYearoftheWaterDragon,which

symbolizes creativity, new beginnings and transitions as wellasexcitement.LikethepowerfulWaterDragon,itwas predicted that in 2012, NCCAOM would experience a year of extremes, which would result in strengthening the organization for transitions and improvements, as expected foraDragonyear.Itwasalsoayearforcommunicating,learning, and evolving, which was also predicted as they are strongcharacteristicsofaWaterDragonyear.NCCAOM’sfocus and outcomes were certainly on communications, learning and determined evolution. All three factors occurred as a result of the processes and outcomes from two NCCAOM BoardofCommissioners’appointedblueribbonpanels,notablytheBlueRibbonPanelonAsianBodyworkTherapy(ABT), who met in July of 2012 to create a report for their respectivestakeholders,andtheBlueRibbonPanelonInternationalEligibility,whodeliveredtheirfinalreportandrecommendations to the Board of Commissioners in October, 2012 (the list of both panel members appears on page 9).

As a policy requirement of the NCCAOM, following any Board of Commissioners announcement to retire a certification program, the organization must first seek stakeholder input for a period of one year. The decision to retire the ABT certification program did not come lightly. ItwasadifficultandsignificantdecisionmadebytheNCCAOM Board of Commissioners in 2011 to announce theretirementoftheDiplomateofAsianBodyworkTherapy(ABT)certificationexambyDecember31,2012.Thisdecision

came after years of discussion about the vitality and demand of the ABT certification program. The NCCAOM Board of Commissioners subsequently decided that it was crucial for NCCAOM to communicate to all ABT stakeholders the rationale for why this difficult decision was made and how the organization and its ABT stakeholders could move forward in the future to have ABT practitioners recognized by the public. As a result, the NCCAOM Board of Commissioners, with a commitment to learn about the feasibility for a potential new credential, appointed a blue ribbon panel of ABT stakeholders who were charged to consider the possibility of a potential new credential for ABT. The panel met in July 2012 in WashingtonDCandtheABTcommunityofstakeholderswillcontinue to examine alternative credentials for the discipline of ABT as the need arises.

TheNCCAOM’sother2012blueribbonpanel(theBlueRibbonPanelonInternationalEligibility)metforaperiodoftwoyears.Duringthistimethepanelmembersextensivelystudied challenges faced by internationally educated applicants to meet certification eligibility requirements and to successfully pass all NCCAOM certification examinations. Asaresultofthepanel’srecommendations,theNCCAOMBoard of Commissioners agreed to move forward with several recommendations. The NCCAOM collected stakeholder input via the NCCAOM website on the following two proposed intentionsoftheBoard:(1)PhasingoutoftheNCCAOMforeign language exams after the 2014 administration, and (2) therequirementofEnglishlanguageproficiencybyallforeigneducatedapplicants.InputfromtheNCCAOMstakeholdersplays a vital role in policy changes and decisions.

3

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Another initiative that the NCCAOM undertook in 2012 was tore-examineitspolicyforDiplomatesreturningtoactivestatusfromlapsedorterminatedstatus.InanefforttokeepNCCAOM standards high, and to maintain best practices in the certification industry, the Board of Commissioners chargedtheNCCAOMRecertificationCommitteetostudyandtomakearecommendationtomodifyhowDiplomatescould return from terminated status without starting the certification process all over again as a new applicant. As a result of this charge, a potential new route of certification, theReinstatementRoute,wasconceivedduring2012.TheRecertificationCommitteepartneredwiththeEligibilityCommittee,theProfessionalEthicsandDisciplinaryCommitteeandtheExamDevelopmentCommitteestodevelopthenewReinstatementPolicy.Thisnewpolicyresulted in the creation of criteria for candidates to take a reinstatement examination that could be used to measure

their competency to practice safely. The collective work of the above committees and the resultant policy decision of the Board opened a new and more feasible way for former DiplomatestoreturntoactiveDiplomatestatus.ThenewReinstatementPolicybecameeffectiveJanuary1,2013.TheNCCAOM® Reinstatement Handbook can be found on the NCCAOMwebsite.Duringthisevaluativeprocess,whattheBoardandstaffhavelearnedisthatonceaDiplomateislapsed for more than three years it is difficult to contact them; therefore, it was also decided in 2012 to shorten the length of timeaDiplomatecouldbeinlapsedstatusbeforetheymovedto terminated status. Consequently, the number of years that a Diplomatecouldbeinlapsedstatuswasshortenedfromeightto three years.

As a result of actively listening and engaging with the acupuncture and Oriental medicine community to better

4

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

David Canzone, DOM, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)®, Dipl. NBAO Chair, NCCAOM® Board of Commissioners

Kory Ward-Cook, Ph.D., MT(ASCP), CAE Chief Executive Officer

serveallNCCAOMconstituents,theorganization’scapacityisgrowing stronger. Here are some notable events and statistics that will be seen as part of the 2012 NCCAOM® Annual Report:

• ThefirstProfessionalDevelopmentAdvisory(PDA)Panel(See page 9 for a list of members) was created to examine the policies and procedures for further strengthening andexpandingourPDAprogramswhichhasgrownconsiderably since 2008.

• ThecreationofasynergyprogramwithJill’sList,anonlinereferral service creating another benefit for NCCAOM Diplomates.

• NCCAOMsawanincreaseincandidatesforcertification.Therewere5,368candidatesregisteredforNCCAOMcertificationexamsadministeredbyPearsonVUEin2012as compared to 5,092 in 2011.

• ThreestatesaddedthepassageoftheBiomedicineexamsince2011:Washington,Michigan,andRhodeIsland.

• OnestateaddedthepassageoftheChineseHerbologyexam in 2012: Ohio.

• MichiganaddedtherequirementoffullcertificationinAcupuncture or Oriental Medicine.

• TheCertificationServicesDepartmentreceived85requestsfromDiplomatesofAcupunctureand/orChineseHerbologytoconverttoDiplomateofOrientalMedicinein2012.

• Therewasa13%increaseinthenumberofrecertificationapplicationsreceivedfromformerDiplomatesinlapsedstatusascomparedtoanaverage7%inprioryears.

• NCCAOMstaffpreparedtwofactssheetstoeducatestudents, practitioners, and regulatory agencies regarding NCCAOM standards and the NCCAOM examination and certification process. The NCCAOM® Certifications and Testing Program Fact Sheet and NCCAOM® National Standards Fact Sheet; both are available on the NCCAOM® website.

The NCCAOM is committed to keeping standards high in order to further the AOM profession nationwide by striving to improve licensing laws in each state to include full NCCAOM certification. Within the organization, the NCCAOM is expanding its technology horizons, building capacity and continually refining its policies and procedures to keep pace with current certification industry standards and to also meet theneedsourDiplomatesandotherstakeholders.Asevidentfrom the above activities, 2012, the Chinese Year of the Water Dragon,provedtobeamonumentalyearfortransitionandimprovements as we continuously strived for better outcomes for our programs and our stakeholders who benefit from them.

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A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

2012 NCCAOM Board of Commissioners

The 2012 Board of Commissioners was composed of tenCommissionerswhichincludedsevenProfessionalmembers,threePublicmembersandanon-votingChiefExecutiveOfficer.Belowarethemembersofthe2012NCCAOM Board of Commissioners.

DAVIDCANZONECHAIR

KORYWARD-COOKCEO

MIKEKLUGCOMMISSIONER

DENISEHSUCOMMISSIONER

SUSANCHAPMANTREASURER

TESSHAHNCOMMISSIONER

JANSTEGERMAINECOMMISSIONER

WEIYIDINGVICE CHAIR

MICHAELGARLANDCOMMISSIONER

EUGENELONDONCOMMISSIONER

BRYNCLARKSECRETARY

6

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

2012 NCCAOM Governance Organizational Structure

FINANCECOMMITTEE

Committee Chair, BOC TreasurerMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff LiaisonStaff Support

PROFESSIONALETHICSAND DISCIPLINARYCOMMITTEE

Committee ChairMembers and GuestsStaff LiaisonStaff Support

GOVERNANCEDOCUMENTS COMMITTEE

CommitteeChair/BoardLiaisonMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaison

BOARDDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

CommitteeChair/BoardLiaisonMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Support

RESEARCHCOMMITTEE

Committee ChairMembers and GuestsBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaison

BLUERIBBONADVISORYPANELONINTERNATIONALELIGIBILITY

Committee Chair, BOC LiaisonCommissioner MembersDiplomateMembersAOM Organizational RepresentativesPublicMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioConsultantStaff LiaisonStaff Support

PDAADVISORYPANEL

Committee ChairMembers and GuestsBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaison

ELIGIBILITYCOMMITTEE

Committee ChairBoard LiaisonMembers and GuestsCEO,Ex-officioStaff LiaisonStaff Support

RECERTIFICATIONCOMMITTEE

Committee Chair, BOC LiaisonMembers and GuestsBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff LiaisonStaff Support

TRANSLATIONCOMMITTEE

CommitteeChair/BoardLiaisonMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaison

JOBANALYSIS BLUERIBBONPANEL

Committee Co-ChairsMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaisons

ASIANBODYWORKTHERAPY BLUERIBBONPANEL

Committee ChairsMembersBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,Ex-officioStaff Liaisons

COUNCILOFEXAMINATION COMMITTEECHAIRS

Committee ChairChairsofEDCsBoardLiaisonsofEDCsBOCChair,Ex-officioCEO,StaffLiaisonStaff Support

EXAMINATIONDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEES**

AcupuncturewithPointLocationAsian Bodywork TherapyChinese HerbologyFoundations of Oriental MedicineBiomedicine

**Each EDC Committee includes Chairs, Board Liaisons, Members, Guests and Staff Liaisons

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEEBOC ChairBOCViceChairBOC TreasurerBOC SecretaryChiefExecutiveOfficerMember-at-Large (optional)

STANDINGCOMMITTEES,COUNCILSANDPANELS

BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS7ProfessionalMembers

3PublicMembersChiefExecutiveOfficer

7

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

NCCAOMSTAFF

2012 NCCAOM Management

KoryWard-Cook,Ph.D.,CAEChiefExecutiveOfficer

Mina Larson, M.S., MBADeputyDirector

IreneBasoreDirectorofAdministration

PamelaFrommelt,M.S.DirectorofAssessmentand TestDevelopment

Yvonne Sanders, M.S.DirectorofTestDevelopment

Neel TenaliDirectorofFinance

RebeccaCassidyManager,DatabaseAdministration

Sheila LusisManager, Certification Services

PaulMayManager,InformationTechnology (Directorasof12/31/12)

JenniferNemeth,M.Ed.Manager,PDAand Quality Assurance

MelissaDowCoordinator,Executive andVolunteerServices

Stephanie MillsRegulatoryAffairsand ResearchSpecialist

Tara WilleyAssistant Controller

Olga CoxCustomer Service Representative

Connie HeggoodCertificationRecordsManagement Assistant

Ameera AyubiAdministrative Assistant

Alicia AzouzAdministrative Assistant

Gerri Beth GuzmanAdministrative Assistant

Jenilynn WeaverAdministrative Assistant

8

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS

DavidCanzone,ChairWeiyiDing,ViceChairSusan Chapman, TreasurerBryn Clark, SecretaryKoryWard-Cook,CEOMichael Garland, CommissionerTess Hahn, CommissionerDeniseHsu,CommissionerMike Klug, CommissionerEugeneLondon,CommissionerJan SteGermaine, Commissioner

COMMITTEES,COUNCILSANDPANELSOFTHEBOARD

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

DavidCanzone,ChairWeiyiDing,ViceChairSusan Chapman, TreasurerBryn Clark, SecretaryKoryWard-Cook,CEOEugeneLondon,Member-at-large

FINANCE/AUDITCOMMITTEE

Susan Chapman, ChairMichael Garland, Member Tess Hahn, Member Jan SteGermaine, MemberMike Klug, MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioNeel Tenali, Staff LiaisonTara Willey, Staff Support GOVERNANCEDOCUMENTSCOMMITTEE

Michael Garland, ChairBryn Clark, MemberDeniseHsu,MemberMike Klug, Member (Chair as of 10-2012)DavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioIreneBasore,StaffLiaison

BOARDDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

Michael Garland, ChairBryn Clark, Member,

(ChairasofOct30,2012)WeiyiDing,MemberMike McKeown, Member DavidCanzone,Ex-officioKory Ward-Cook, Staff LiaisonMina Larson, Staff Support

PROFESSIONALETHICSANDDISCIPLINARYCOMMITTEE

Michael Taromina, ChairScott Cormier, MemberCathy Goldstein, MemberValerieHobbs,MemberDeniseHsu,MemberMike Klug, MemberStephanie Mills, Staff Liaison

ELIGIBILITYCOMMITTEE

Bryn Clark, ChairChristine Chang, MemberDeniseHsu,MemberEugeneLondon,MemberJan SteGermaine, Member, Board LiaisonMary Wu, MemberF. Afua Bromley, GuestKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioIreneBasore,StaffLiaisonSheila Lusis, Staff Support

RECERTIFICATIONCOMMITTEE

Jan SteGermaine, ChairMike Klug, MemberFaye Schenkman, MemberAmy Sear, MemberMaryanne Travaglione, MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioIreneBasore,StaffLiaisonSheila Lusis, Staff Support

2012 Board of Commissioners, Councils, Committees and Panels

COUNCILOFEXAMINATION COMMITTEECHAIRS

WeiyiDing,ChairBarbraEsher,MemberTess Hahn, MemberJason Hao, MemberDeniseHsu,MemberEugeneLondon,MemberDennisMoseman,MemberJan SteGermaine, MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,CEOandStaffLiaisonYvonne Sanders, Staff SupportPamFrommelt,StaffSupport

ACUPUNCTUREWITHPOINTLOCATIONEXAMDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

Jason Hao, Chair DeniseHsu,BoardLiaisonRuthDalphin,MemberJonathanDaniel,MemberEr-QiangLi,GuestDavidMyrick,MemberZonglan Xu, MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioYvonne Sanders, Staff Liaison

CHINESEHERBOLOGYEXAMDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

WeiyiDing,ChairandBoardLiaisonYuxin He, MemberAnne Jeffres, MemberQing-Yao Shi, MemberChristine Chang, GuestZhen Hu, GuestDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioYvonne Sanders, Staff Liaison

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A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

FOUNDATIONSOFORIENTALMEDICINEEXAMDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

EugeneLondon,Chair&BoardLiaisonJoan Boccino, Member DanielJiao,MemberShaozhi Li, MemberXiaohai Li, MemberXiaotian Shen, MemberJan SteGermaine, Member DavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioPamelaFrommelt,StaffLiaison

BIOMEDICINEEXAM DEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

DennisMoseman,ChairTess Hahn, Board LiaisonDavidMiller,MemberJanet Zand, MemberBingzeng Zou, GuestImanMajd,GuestDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioPamelaFrommelt,StaffLiaison

ASIANBODYWORKTHERAPYEXAMDEVELOPMENTCOMMITTEE

BarbraEsher,ChairJan SteGermaine, Board Liaison Michael Casper, MemberRylenFeeney,MemberBrian Skow, MemberDeborahSmith,MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioPamelaFrommelt,StaffLiaison

TRANSLATIONSUBCOMMITTEE

WeiyiDing,Chair&BoardLiaisonChristine Chang, MemberDeniseHsu,MemberZhen Hu, MemberHyo-Kyung Kim, MemberYoon Kwon, MemberSun Young Lee, MemberXiaotian Shen, MemberDaesongYim,MemberYvonne Sanders, Staff LiaisonPamFrommelt,StaffLiaison

RESEARCHCOMMITTEE

Bryn Clark, ChairSusan Chapman, MemberWeiyiDing,MemberJan SteGermaine, MemberEugeneLondon,MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioMina Larson, Staff Support

BLUERIBBONADVISORYPANELONINTERNATIONALELIGIBILITY(BRAPIE)

Bryn Clark, ChairMalvinFinkelstein,DiplomateMemberSteveGiven,CCAOMRepresentativePennyHeisler,ExecutiveDirector,

Maryland State Acupuncture BoardDeniseHsu,CommissionerMemberTess Hahn, Commissioner MemberDanielJiao,DiplomateMemberCharlesKim,ViceChair,

California Acupuncture BoardBarbaraNichols,PublicMember,

CEO,CGFNSEladSchiff,InternationalMemberRobertWatkins,PublicMember,

Chair, NAFSAMaryWatterson,Registrar,CTCMA,CanadaCarlaWilson,ACAOMRepresentativeSharonGoldsmith,Consultant/FacilitatorDavidCanzone,Ex-officioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-officioIreneBasore,StaffLiaisonSheila Lusis, Staff SupportStephanie Mills, Staff Support

PDAADVISORYPANEL

EugeneLondon,ChairLorneBrown,International

PDAProvider,GuestPeteGonzales,StateRegulatory

AgencyRepresentative,GuestTiffanyHansen,SchoolPDAProvider,GuestDanielJiao,NCCAOMDiplomate,GuestZeeLo,PDAProvider,GuestEdwardNeal,Physician,Diplomate,

andPDAProvider,GuestMaryanne Travaglione, NCCAOM

RecertificationCommittee Liaison, Member

DavidCanzone,Ex-OfficioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-OfficioJennifer Nemeth, Staff Liaison

JOBANALYSISBLUERIBBONPANEL

WeiyiDing,Co-ChairTess Hahn, Co-ChairMatthew Bauer, MemberTimothy Chapman, MemberRuthDalphin,MemberDeborahLincoln,MemberEugeneLondon,MemberImanMajd,MemberDavidMiller,MemberDennisMoseman,MemberKatherine Taromina, MemberJason Wright, MemberZong Lan Xu, Member Janet Zand, MemberDavidCanzone,Ex-OfficioKoryWard-Cook,Ex-OfficioDanaAnderson-Pancoe,SMTExam

DevelopmentDirectorPamFrommeltandYvonneSanders,

NCCAOM Testing Staff Liaisons

ASIANBODYWORKTHERAPY(ABT)BLUERIBBONPANEL

Bryn Clark, Chair CynthiaBanker,ABTDiplomateWilliam Brown, National Organizational

RepresentativeCariJohnsonPelava,ABTSchool

RepresentativeWayne Myelin, National Organization

RepresentativeAngieParis-Raney,NationalOrganization

RepresentativeSteveSchenkman,SchoolRepresentativeJan SteGermaine, NCCAOM Commissioner

RepresentativeDeborahValentineSmith,National

OrganizationRepresentativeBrandon Yong Jo Lee, ABT School

RepresentativeAlexa Zaledonis, National Organization

RepresentativeJoanKnapp,Knapp&Associates

Credentialing ConsultantDavidCanzone,NCCAOMChair,Ex-OfficioKoryWard-Cook,NCCAOMCEO,

Ex-OfficioMina Larson, Staff Liaison

10

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Report from the NCCAOM Treasurer

NCCAOM’sfinancialconditionasofDecember31,2012continuedtoremain strong and stable. Although revenues from applications for certification have remained relatively similar in 2012 compared to 2011,

revenues from examination fees, recertification fees and professional development activities fees from providers showed a significant increase from 2011. Many more formerDiplomateswhowereinlapsedstatusrecertifiedin2012,resultinginasignificant increase in recertification revenue for the organization by the end of 2012.Inadditiontorecertificationrevenue,morestatesareaddingexaminationrequirements to include the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology exam and the Biomedicine exam.

The balance sheet of NCCAOM shows a strong and favorable condition as of December31,2012.Allfinancialratioscontinuedtoreflectahighlyfavorableposition needed to sustain the organization and support plans for the future. The Organization continued to maintain its required prudent reserve ratio of nine months of operating reserve during the year.

Bytheendof2012thenetassetsincreasedby$484,783.

TheStatementofActivitiesshowsatotalincomeof$3,846,549representing an above average level of total income compared to the previous two years (see Table 1).Accordingly,totalexpensesfor2012of$3,547,630alsorepresentslightlyaboveaverageleveloftotalexpensesforthesameperiod.Management’scontinued efforts to implement prudent cost-saving measures helped achieve favorable operating results. Table 1 shows the total income and expenses by major categories. Figures 1 and 2 show the percent of revenue or expenses for 2012 by major categories.

Susan Chapman Treasurer, 2012

SUSANCHAPMANTREASURER

11

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

(TABLE1) STATEMENTSOFACTIVITIES ANDCHANGESINNETASSETS

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012

(FIG.1) TOTALREVENUEBYSOURCE

l Application Fees

l Examination Fees

l Recertification Fees

l PDA Provider Fees

l Administrative Fees

l Exams Administration

l Recertification

l Diplomate and Candidate Services

l Board and Committees

l External Relations

l General Administration

(FIG.2) TOTALEXPENSESBYPROGRAM

44%

23%

27%

3% 3%

55%

12%

13%

5%

8%

7%

REVENUES

Examination Fees $1,650,400

Practice Test Fees 39,840

Application Fees 875,070

Recertification Fees 1,032,985

PDA Income 118,625

Publication Income 17,504

Administrative Fees 112,125

TOTAL REVENUES $3,846,549

EXPENSES

Examination Administration Costs $1,939,200

Recertification Costs 444,856

Diplomate and Candidate Costs 453,169

Total Direct Costs 2,837,225

Operating Revenue, Net 1,009,324

Board & Committees Costs 276,026

External Relations Costs 171,992

General and Administrative Costs 262,387

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS BEFORE OTHER INCOME $298,919

OTHER INCOME (LOSS)

Investment Income, (Including net of expenses of $15,000) $185,864

Total Other Income (loss) 185,864

Change in Net Assets 484,783

Net Assets, Beginning of Year 4,606,174

NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR $5,090,957

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NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Year in Review 2012 Highlights

JANUARY

• TheAAAOM,CCAOMandNCCAOMcollaboratedwiththe help of other national and state AOM organizations and leaders to draft a letter and position statement requesting thattheDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices(HHS) designate acupuncture services an essential health benefit(EHB)withinformationdetailingthebenefitsof acupuncture, its cost-effectiveness, safety record, and potentialareasofinclusioninEHB.

These documents are accessible below:

AAAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM Collaborative Cover Letter to HHS

AAAOMPositionStatementinSupportoftheDesignationofAcupunctureasanEssentialHealthBenefitService

EssentialHealthBenefitsSupportLetters

• RetiredDiplomate,anon-activedesignation,isofferedtoitslongstandingDiplomateswhohavedevotedmanyyearsto the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine and also contributed to the NCCAOM and the acupuncture andOrientalmedicineprofession.TheretiredDiplomatedesignationallowsveteranDiplomatestostayinvolvedwith the AOM profession and continue their affiliation with NCCAOM. For details view the NCCAOM® Retired Designation Handbook on our website.

• TheNCCAOM,onbehalfofitsDiplomates,iscommittedto the recognition of the AOM profession as a unique and vital health profession; therefore, the NCCAOM is collecting ongoing demographic and practice setting informationonouractiveDiplomatesbyrequestingthateachDiplomatecompletetheNCCAOM®DiplomateDemographicSurvey,ananonymoussurvey,whichisdistributedtoeachDiplomateuponcompletionoftherecertification process.

Joint meeting of the Recertification Committee and the PDA Advisory Panel, August 2012

83rd Chinese Medicine Day Celebration, San Francisco, CA (Ron Zaidman, Kory Ward-Cook, Angela Tu, Eugene London, David Canzone, Denise Hsu)

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A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

FEBRUARY

The NCCAOM 2012 School Liaison Webinar was presented by staff. The video presentation and slides are available on the NCCAOM website.

MARCH

• TheNCCAOMcelebratedLeapDay2012withasegmenton the popular Dr.OzShow featuring the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine

• NCCAOMexhibitedaboothatthe1stOrientalMedicineExpoatDonggukUniversityinLosAngeles,CAandattendedthe83rdChineseMedicineDayCelebration,SanFrancisco, CA

• TheNCCAOM®Registry, which lists all NCCAOM certifiedDiplomates,isaddedtotheNCCAOMwebsite.This registry is designed to be used by state licensing agencies, insurance companies and the general public to verify that an individual is actively certified by the NCCAOM.

APRIL

A fact sheet titled “National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM®) Fact Sheet: Meeting National Standards through its Examinations and Certification Process” was created and distributed to provide information about NCCAOM certification and national standards.

MAY

• NCCAOMreceivedregistrationonallfourofitsDiplomatecertification designationsfromtheUnitedStatesPatentandTradeOffice(USPTO).ThisregistrationmeansthatonlyactiveNCCAOMDiplomatescanexclusivelyusethesecredentials to identify and promote their certification.

• The2012NCCAOMStudentWebinarvideo presentation and slides are available on the NCCAOM website.

• NCCAOMandAAAOMPromoteNationalHerbalMedicine Week to promote the safe and effective practice

NCCAOM Diplomate registered service marks: (Pictured clockwise from top) Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)®, Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)®, Dipl. A.B.T. (NCCAOM)®, Dipl. O.M. (NCCAOM)®

Asian Bodywork Therapy Blue Ribbon Panel

®

®

®®

14

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

of Chinese herbology. National Herbal Medicine Week is a time of year when practitioners, consumers, and organizational leaders join in the opportunity to share their knowledge and highlight the strength of this gentle and effective treatment. As one of the first medicines used to treat ailments, herbal medicine continues to be used safely and effectively by many fully trained practitioners world-wide for a variety of conditions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Herbal medicine practitioners combine the best of modern science and thousands of years of clinical effectiveness to help patients relieve many health conditions.

• NCCAOMprovidedanexhibitboothattheInternationalResearchCongressonIntegrativeMedicineandHealthinPortland,Oregon

• NCCAOMhostedtheAsianBodyworkTherapy(ABT)BlueRibbonPaneltodiscussthefutureoftheABTcredential with leaders in ABT and massage communities in WashingtonD.C.

AUGUST

NCCAOMDiplomateShellieGoldsteinwasfeaturedonGoodMorning America demonstrating acupuncture treatment for facialrejuvenation.PleaseseelinkbelowtoviewtheentiresegmentonABC’sGoodMorningAmerica.

SEPTEMBER

• NCCAOMpartnerswithAAAOM,theAmericanAcupuncture Council and the North Carolina Association for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at the American PresidentialExperienceMarketplaceinCharlotte,NCtohost an exhibit booth to support acupuncture services to allAmericans.ThePresidentialExperiencewasheldattheDemocraticNationalConventionwhereinformationwasprovided about AOM and the NCCAOM. Many attendees were able to experience acupuncture treatment for the first time by North Carolina acupuncturists.

• NCCAOMexhibitedattheFloridaSocietyforAcupunctureand Oriental Medicine (FSOMA) Annual Conference in Tampa, FL

Shellie Goldstein, Dipl. Ac. & C.H. (NCCAOM)® featured on Good Morning America

M. Cissy Majebe, O.M.D, DOM, Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)®, L.Ac., Acupuncture Demonstration, Charlotte, NC

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A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

OCTOBER

Dr.Ward-Cookpresentedabreakoutsessiontitled:Demystifying Credentialing: Providing a Roadmap for a Challenging LandscapeattheInternationalCongressforEducatorsinComplementaryandIntegrativeMedicine(ICE-CIM)atGeorgetownUniversityandNCCAOMexhibitedabooth to promote NCCAOM certification and AOM

NOVEMBER

NCCAOMprovidedanexhibitaboothatthePacificSymposiuminSanDiego,CA

THROUGHOUT2012

TheNCCAOMispleasedtohaveprovidedinformationand/or testimony to the following states:

• Alabama• Arizona• California• Colorado• Connecticut• Florida• Kansas• Massachusetts• Mississippi• Ohio• Oregon• Texas• Washington• Wyoming

Dr. Kory Ward-Cook, CEO NCCAOM, ICE-CIM

NCCAOM staff December 2012

16

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

D uring the year 2012, there were 1,521 new applicants who applied for certification.

This number demonstrates that new applicants requesting certification is flat as compared to 2010 and 2011. Figure 1 shows the number of new applications received by year between2009and2012.In2012,thenew Oriental Medicine certification applications received (918 OM applications) outpaced the new Acupuncture certification applications (579ACapplications)by58.5%.

ThenumberofEnglishlanguagecertification examinations administered between 2009 and 2012 for each examination is shown in Figure 2. Inaddition,139foreignlanguageexams were administered in 2012. The Asian Bodywork Therapy exam was discontinued at the end of 2012. As of December31,2012nonewapplicantswere approved to test for the ABT exam to attain certification in Asian Bodywork Therapy.

All states that regulate acupuncture (with the exception of California) require at the least passage of the Foundations of Oriental Medicine (FOM)andAcupuncturewithPointLocation(ACPL)examinationsfor

Certification Activities

(FIG.2)NUMBEROFNCCAOMENGLISHLANGUAGEEXAMINATIONSADMINISTEREDBYCERTIFICATIONEXAMINATION:2009–2012

l 2012 = 5,228

l 2011 = 5,092

l 2010 = 4,554

l 2009 = 6,090

TOTALS

Acupuncture with Point Location

Foundations of Oriental Medicine

Biomedicine ChineseHerbology

Asian Bodywork Therapy

1,536 1,543

1,3031,356

1,957

1,1721,102

1,534

1,661 1,668

1,4221,453

901

665749 767

35 042 78

(FIG.1)TOTALNUMBEROFAPPLICATIONSFORCERTIFICATIONBYYEAR2009–2012*

1,537 1,521

1,833

1,461

2010 2011 2012*2009

*Does not include ABT Applications or Diplomates of Acupuncture and/or Chinese Herbology converting to Diplomate of Oriental Medicine

17

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

licensure.Attheendof2012,43statesplustheDistrictofColumbiarecognize NCCAOM certification or exams for licensure (see Figure 3) and 7 states require passage of the Chinese Herbology (CH) examination for licensure. Figure 4 shows the states that include Chinese herbal medicine in their scope of practice for acupuncturists.Currently,32statesrequire the passage of the Biomedicine (BIO)examinadditiontotheFOMandACPL.Inordertoprotectthepublic the NCCAOM works closely with state regulatory boards to add the requirementforpassageoftheBIOexam, and for those states that have Chinese herbal medicine in their scope of practice, the NCCAOM encourages the licensing board to require the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology exam for licensure.

(FIG.4)STATESTHEINCLUDECHINESEHERBSINTHESCOPEOFPRACTICEFORACUPUNCTURISTS

NHVT

NY

ME

MA

DC

PA

OH

MI

WI

IL

MN

IA

MO

AR

MS

LATX

OK

KS

NE

SD

NDMT

WY

CO

NM

HI

AZ

UT

ID

WA

OR

CA

NV

AK

IN

KY

TN

AL GA

FL

WVVA

NC

SC

NJ

RICT

DEMD

NHVT

NY

ME

MA

DC

PA

OH

MI

WI

IL

MN

IA

MO

AR

MS

LATX

OK

KS

NE

SD

NDMT

WY

CO

NM

HI

AZ

UT

ID

WA

OR

CA

NV

AK

IN

KY

TN

AL GA

FL

WVVA

NC

SC

NJ

RICT

DEMD

(FIG.3)STATESTHATRECOGNIZENCCAOMCERTIFICATIONOREXAMINATIONFORLICENSURE

l States that require NCCAOM Certification

l States that require NCCAOM Examination

l States that include Chinese Herbs in the Scope of Practice for Acupuncturists

l States that include Chinese Herbs in the Scope of Practice and require Chinese Herbology exam

States that include Chinese Herbs in the Scope of Practice and will be requiring Chinese Herbology exam

l States that do not include Chinese Herbs in their Scope of Practice or do not have a Practice Act

l States that are working on adding Chinese Herbology exam regulation

l California Licensing Examination

l States with no Acupuncture Practice Act

18

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

(FIG.6)NUMBEROFNEWCERTIFICATIONSAWARDEDBYYEARFOREACHNCCAOMCERTIFICATIONPROGRAM:2009–2012

l 2012

l 2011

l 2010

l 2009

l 0–300

l 301–600

l 601–900

l 901–2,500

Acupuncture OrientalMedicine

ChineseHerbology

Asian Bodywork Therapy

591

467 479

552

655

521540 529

28 17 8 15 28 250

28

EarningcertificationfromNCCAOMrepresents a significant professional achievement. NCCAOM certification makes an important statement about professional competence that is recognized by regulatory bodies, third-party payers, the profession and the public. Figure 5 shows the number ofactiveNCCAOMDiplomatesper state and virtually all states are represented. The NCCAOM® Find a Practitioner is a useful tool to locate a certifiedDiplomatebycityandstate.By the end of 2012 the NCCAOM had 17,975activeDiplomatesworldwide.The NCCAOM maintains the StatesLicensureRequirementTable that shows each state in which the NCCAOM examinations are required for licensure and also which states require full NCCAOM certification for licensure.

Figure 6 shows the new certifications awarded from 2009 through 2012. Overall the number of new certifications awarded in 2012 increasedby9.4%ascomparedto2011.Interestingly,thenumberofnewDiplomatesinAcupunctureincreased15.2%in2012,comparedto2011,whilethenumberofDiplomatescertified in Oriental Medicine actually decreasedslightlyby2.0%in2012compared to 2011. The number of newly certified Asian Bodywork TherapyDiplomateswas28in2012,which was comparable to previous years when the exam was offered (2009 and2011).TheseABTDiplomateswereamong the last to have the opportunity toearntheDipl.ABT(NCCAOM)®.ThenumberofnewDiplomatesofChinese Herbology actually grew from eight in 2011 to 15 in 2012.

(FIG.5)NUMBEROFNCCAOMACTIVEDIPLOMATESPERSTATE(FIG.5)NUMBEROFNCCAOMACTIVEDIPLOMATESPERSTATE

NHVT

NY

ME

MA

DC

PA

OH

MI

WI

IL

MN

IA

MO

AR

MS

LATX

OK

KS

NE

SD

NDMT

WY

CO

NM

HI

AZ

UT

ID

WA

OR

CA

NV

AK

IN

KY

TN

AL GA

FL

WVVA

NC

SC

NJ

RICT

DEMD

19

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

(FIG.7)PERCENTAGEOFDIPLOMATESSCHEDULEDTORECERTIFYWHORECERTIFIED:2009–2012

l 2012

l 2011

l 2010

l 2009

Acupuncture OrientalMedicine

ChineseHerbology

Asian Bodywork Therapy

57

63

72 73

62

70 69

77

5457

67

62

42

50 49

63

(FIG.8)NUMBEROFACTIVEDIPLOMATESFOREACHPROGRAM:2009–2012

Acupuncture OrientalMedicine

ChineseHerbology

Asian Bodywork Therapy

11,26210,783

10,440

11,187

3,5583,8094,234

4,803

2,129 1,950 1,753 1,661

423 357 318 324

Figure 7 shows the percentage retentionofDiplomatesbetween2009 and 2012. Overall, a total 4,210 recertifications were processed in 2012. Ofthese85%wereactiveDiplomatesrecertifying,13%wereformerDiplomatesinlapsedstatusreturningtoactiveDiplomatestatusand2%wereactiveDiplomatesrequestinginactivestatus (a non-certified status).

WhilethenumberofDiplomatesrecertifying in Acupuncture remained the same in 2012 as in 2011(approximately72%eachyear),the retention of actively certified DiplomatesofOrientalMedicinerose10.2%in2012comparedto2011andtheretentionofDiplomatesofAsian Bodywork Therapy actually increasedsignificantlyby14.4%from2011 to 2012. This phenomenon is most likely related to the NCCAOM discontinuation of the ABT exam in 2012. Also, all currently certified DiplomatesofABTareabletomaintaintheirABTDiplomate(NCCAOM)® designation as long as they continue to recertify.

Figure 8 illustrates that by the end of 2012, NCCAOM had 18,219 active certificates of certification held world-wideby17,975Diplomates.ItcanalsobeseenthatthenumberofDiplomatescertified in Oriental Medicine continues to grow.

l 2012 = 17,975

l 2011 = 16,745

l 2010 = 16,899

l 2009 = 17,372

TOTALS

20

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Examination Statistics

D uring2012theEnglishlanguageFoundations of Oriental Medicine (FOM), Acupuncture

withPointLocation(ACPL),ChineseHerbology(CH),andBiomedicine(BIO)certification exams were all administered as computer adaptive examinations. The Foreign language examinations and the Asian Bodywork Therapy (ABT) certification examination were administered as linear computer based exams in 2012. The information provided in Table 1 (page 21) shows the statistics for NCCAOM certification examinations takeninEnglish.

The examination statistics includes data for the following groups of test takers: All Test Takers, all attempts; First Time Test Takers (School FTTT) from the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM accredited schools or programs); Other First Time Test Takers includes candidates who are internationally educated, candidates educated at ACAOM candidate schools and those candidates who applied via the apprenticeship route of eligibility. The lastgroupoftesttakersisSchoolRepeatTestTakers(RTT),whichisanothercategory of candidate statistics from ACAOM accredited schools.

The information provided in Table 2 (page 22) shows the pass rate and total number of NCCAOM Foreign LanguageExamination(FLE)testersforallFLEsadministeredworldwide.Note, there is a further delineation betweencandidateseducatedintheU.S.,candidateseducatedoutsidetheU.S.andapprenticeship candidates. The total of allFLEmodulesadministeredbyyearwere157in2007,147in2009and139in 2012 (to approximately 45 different testers).AllForeignandEnglishlanguageexaminations were administered at PearsonVUEProfessionalTestcentersand the exam scoring and psychometric analyses were conducted by Schroder Measurement Technologies (SMT®).

21

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

* Acupuncture and Point Location were combined into one examination in 2008ALL TEST TAKERS: First and repeat testers all routes SCHOOL FTTT: First time test taker from accredited ACAOM schools

OTHER FTTT: First time test taker from international schools, ACAOM Candidate schools or apprenticeship routeSCHOOL RTT: Repeat test taker from accredited ACAOM schools

EXAM NUMBER PASS MINIMUM MAXIMUM MEAN STANDARD STANDARD OF EXAMS RATE % SCORE SCORE SCORE ERROR DEVIATION

ACUPUNCTUREWITHPOINTLOCATION*

ALL TEST TAKERS 1,584 81.4 13 99 76.62 0.12 8.86

SCHOOL FTTT 1,257 85.5 41 99 77.78 0.11 8.19

OTHER FTTT 80 60.0 13 99 70.90 0.19 13.49

SCHOOL RTT 207 69.1 50 99 73.01 0.11 8.19

BIOMEDICINE

ALL TEST TAKERS 1,141 82.1 36 98 77.04 0.13 9.71

SCHOOL FTTT 966 86.6 40 98 78.42 0.11 8.74

OTHER FTTT 84 54.8 36 93 69.01 0.19 13.32

SCHOOL RTT 68 52.9 56 84 69.40 0.12 8.20

CHINESEHERBOLOGY

ALL TEST TAKERS 726 75.6 30 99 77.89 0.14 11.06

SCHOOL FTTT 583 78.2 46 99 78.94 0.14 10.89

OTHER FTTT 34 94.1 54 99 85.50 0.12 10.11

SCHOOL RTT 108 55.5 30 86 69.88 0.11 7.87

FOUNDATIONSOFORIENTALMEDICINE

ALL TEST TAKERS 1,491 90.0 11 99 79.01 0.10 8.01

SCHOOL FTTT 1,305 92.7 11 98 79.76 0.09 7.50

OTHER FTTT 82 80.5 38 99 77.26 0.13 10.36

SCHOOL RTT 95 63.2 46 87 71.35 0.10 7.32

ASIANBODYWORKTHERAPY

ALL TEST TAKERS 76 42.1 39 88 66.38 0.17 10.97

SCHOOL FTTT 12 66.7 45 88 68.33 0.20 13.40

OTHER FTTT 46 43.5 39 85 67.30 0.15 10.28

SCHOOL RTT 8 50.0 45 68 54.50 0.16 8.64

(TABLE1)ENGLISHLANGUAGEEXAMINATIONSTATISTICS JANUARY1–DECEMBER31,2012

22

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

* Acupuncture and Point Location were combined into one examination in 2008ALL TEST TAKERS: First and repeat testers all routesU.S. FTTT: First time test taker educated in the United States

OTHER FTTT: First time test taker educated outside the United StatesAPP FTTT: First time test taker apprenticeship route

(TABLE2)NCCAOMFORIEGNLANGUAGEEXAMINATIONS(FLE)METRICSANDPASSRATES

2007 2009 2012

EXAM NUMBER PASS NUMBER PASS NUMBER PASS OF EXAMS RATE % OF EXAMS RATE % OF EXAMS RATE %

ACUPUNCTUREWITHPOINTLOCATION*

ALL TEST TAKERS 41 68.3 43 62.8 42 71.4

U.S. FTTT 15 80.0 9 77.8 19 63.2

OTHER FTTT 17 70.6 18 72.2 18 72.2

APP FTT 2 50.0 6 50.0 2 100.0

BIOMEDICINE

ALL TEST TAKERS 30 93.3 33 75.8 37 62.2

U.S. FTTT 14 92.9 9 77.8 17 64.7

OTHER FTTT 10 100.0 17 82.4 16 75.0

APP FTT 1 100.0 5 60.0 1 0.0

CHINESEHERBOLOGY

ALL TEST TAKERS 15 60.0 28 82.1 23 78.3

U.S. FTTT 8 50.0 11 63.6 12 75.0

OTHER FTTT 7 71.4 13 100.0 8 81.6

APP FTT N/A N/A 1 100.0 N/A N/A

FOUNDATIONSOFORIENTALMEDICINE

ALL TEST TAKERS 37 83.8 43 65.1 37 91.9

U.S. FTTT 15 75.7 11 81.8 15 86.7

OTHER FTTT 16 93.8 21 76.2 19 94.7

APP FTT 2 50.0 5 40.0 1 100.0

POINTLOCATION

ALL TEST TAKERS 34 88.2 -- -- -- --

U.S. FTTT 12 91.6 -- -- -- --

OTHER FTTT 17 94.1 -- -- -- --

APP FTT 1 100.0 -- -- -- --

23

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Acupuncture with Point Location

Foundations of Oriental Medicine

Biomedicine ChineseHerbology

Asian Bodywork Therapy

82.1 83.981.4

93.6 91.6 90

77.179.4

75.6

68.872.3

82.1

59.5

42.1

--

(FIG.1)EXAMINATIONPASSRATESFORALLEXAMINEES:2010–2012

Figure 1 (below) shows the consistency of the examination pass rates for all testersinAcupuncturewithPointLocation and Foundations of Oriental Medicine between 2010 and 2012. The Biomedicine examination pass rate is significantly lower in 2010 due to the new exam content based on the 2008 Job Task Analysis. The number of items on the Biomedicine exam increased from 50 to 100 and the content, since 2010, includes thedomainsofSafety,PharmaceuticalsandSupplementationsandPracticeManagementIssuesaswellasthestandard Western Medical Assessment.

Between 2010 and 2012 the candidates are becoming more familiar with the content covered on the exam. The ABT examination was not offered in 2011 and the pass rates continue to decline. The ABT certification examination has been discontinued by the NCCAOM.

l 2012

l 2011

l 2010

24

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

Professional Development Activities

A sevidencedinPDAFigure 1, live presentations (one-day courses or multiple-day courses)

continue to be the most popular type of program and are usually submitted as an individual application which is trackedmanually.Distancelearningcourses are gaining in popularity and most often submitted in bulk-reviews; therfore, the distance learning numbers appear lower than actual because bulk-rate reviews did not tally the total number of applications in each submission.

NewPDAproviderscontinuetobesteady at an average of 95 per year as showninPDAFigure 2.

(FIG.1)NCCAOMPDA-APPROVEDPROGRAMS2010–2012

l 2012

l 2011

l 2010

One-Day Course

Multiple-Day Course

Distance Learning

Conference

213

170

208 206

177192

82

3345

32 3123

(FIG.2)NEWNCCAOMPDAPROVIDERS2010–2012

84

114

90

2010 2011 2012

25

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Professional Ethics and Discipline

T hefunctionoftheProfessionalEthicsandDisciplinaryCommittee(PEDC)istoreviewdisciplinary

casesthatinvolveourDiplomates/Candidates/Applicants.Since2006,atotal 285 cases have been reviewed by thePEDC.Figure 1 (below)shows how the number of cases has dramatically increased in the past year. The ProfessionalEthicsandDisciplinaryCommittee(PEDC)reviewedatotalof68casesin2012.Thisincreaseinthe number of cases has to do with the factthatPEDCstaffiscross-checkingstate disciplinary lists and also bringing forth failure to report cases involving

Diplomateswhohavefailedtonotifyus of disciplinary action, criminal convictions, or other activities involving their fitness to practice.

Table 1(page26)showsthenumberof professional ethics and disciplinary cases reviewed by the NCCAOM ProfessionalEthicsandDisciplinaryReviewCommittee(PEDC)duringthe years 2009 through 2012. Since February 2012, the NCCAOM has focused on being proactive with the states to ensure that information is shared between all interested parties, thereby increasing the number of cases.

Table 1 also shows a continued increase in the number of individuals providing false or misleading information while in practice or on their application and those who fail to report sanctions and convictions. The significant increase in the number of cases is also attributed to the additional categories of Failure toReport(Anindividualhasfailedtoreportaregulatoryagencysanctionand/or criminal act to the NCCAOM per the NCCAOM® Code of Ethics and Grounds for Professional Discipline); and, Failure toRespond(Anindividualhasfailedtorespond to requests for information in the manner and time frame specified in a

(FIG.1)NCCAOMCOMPARISONOFTOTALNUMBEROFCASES2007–2012

2009 20112010 2012

l 2012

l 2011

l 2010

l 2009

32 33

19

69

26

NCCAOM® 2012 ANNUAL REPORT

PEDC CASE CATEGORIES 2009 2010 2011 2012

Misleading/False Information 4 8 9 15

Cheating/Examination Irregularity 1 0 1 1

Malpractice/Negligence 2 2 3 1

Boundary Violations/Unprofessional Conduct 2 6 5 5

Fraud 0 3 6 5

Unlicensed Activity 2 1 3 15

Criminal Conviction 13 8 4 21

Fitness to Practice 2 0 0 11

Failure to Respond in a Timely Manner 0 0 0 8

Failure to Report 0 0 0 27

Administrative Order from School/Professional Association 11 10 16 8

Record Keeping 2 1 0 0

request), which have been added.

Inaddition,Diplomateswhohavereceived certification sanctions are listed onthewebsiteundertheRegulatoryAffairs pages. These individuals are listed under the sanction they have received, as ofMay2013.Thisinformationbecomespublic and is also shared with the state wheretheindividualresidesand/orholdsahealth-relatedlicense.AsofDecember31,2012,therewere67practitionersonNCCAOMDisciplinaryAlert.Foracomplete list of those with an alert status, please visit our website.

PEDCCASECATEGORIESDEFINED

Misleading/False Information: Any advertising or promotion that misrepresents the nature, characteristics andqualitiesofapractitioner’streatments that misleads the public.

Cheating/Examination Irregularity: Talking or giving information about the examination, phone calls or communication by electronic or other means with anyone inside or outside of the examination room, passing or attempting to pass information of any type to another candidate about the examination, possessing any extraneous

(TABLE1)PEDCCASECATEGORIESFROM2009–2012

items during the examination period, writing on the desk, other furniture, clothingoronthetest-taker’sbodyinthe examination room either before or during the examination, impersonating, or attempting to impersonate another candidate, or allowing another person to take the examination on your behalf and failure to report any exam irregularities, cheating, or other inappropriate behavior.

Malpractice/Negligence: An act or omission by a practitioner which deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury to the patient.

27

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Boundary Violations/Unprofessional Conduct:Engaginginsexualorinappropriatecontactwithacurrentand/or former patient.

Fraud: This type of fraud includes unnecessary and fraudulent billing for services not rendered. This category consists primarily of health insurance fraud.

Unlicensed Activity: A practitioner practicing without a valid license or after theexpirationofhis/herlicenses.

Criminal Conviction: The outcome of a criminal prosecution which concludes in a judgment that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.

Fitness to Practice:Practitioner’sabilitytobe able to safely and competently practice ortreathis/herpatient.

Failure to Respond in a Timely Manner: An individual has failed to respond to requests for information in the manner and time frame specified in requests letters.

Failure to Report: An individual has failed to report a regulatory agency sanctionand/orcriminalacttoNCCAOMper the NCCAOM® Code of Ethics and Grounds for Professional Discipline.

Administrative Order from School or Professional Association: A sanction, order or administrative reprimand from aschooland/orprofessionalassociation

noting a violation of a policy, code or regulation during education, training and/orassociationaffiliationrelatedAOM.

Record Keeping: An individual has not keptaccuraterecordsofeachpatient’shistory and treatment.

Prior Disciplinary Action: An individual has either had or currently has a disciplinary action taken against them by a state licensing department or a school

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

76 South Laura Street, Suite 1290Jacksonville, FL 32202tel: 904-598-1005 fax: 904-598-5001www.nccaom.org

®