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Leadership and Policy Discussion at Integrative Healthcare Symposium---Where was Massage Therapy????
Resource ETC (Chris and I) attended the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York City this past weekend. We were so excited! (My first trip the the big apple, his first tour guide experience with me at the big apple). We left a day early to make sure that we weren't delayed by the snow. Bright-eyed and eager----we focused our attention on the two major panel discussions that we felt had the most impact on massage (also, the only two that truly had a focus on massage--ish) Thursday: Leadership & Policy: Integrative Practice, Wellness & Healthcare Reform: Have we Seen Advances in D.C.? and Friday: Leadership & Policy: Creating Federal Changes for Integrative Practices: An Update from National Leaders. Apparently there will be little information coming from the massage associations as they were not present, so we felt it was important to share our experiences and information with you through this medium.
First, start googling names---because the only names that will be recognizable to the massage therapy community will be John Weeks, moderator of both panels and Executive Director of ACCAHC, and Janet Kahn, Executive Director of IHPC. If you do not recognize those acronyms or names, shame on you----google them as well!
John Weeks was the moderator of both panels:
Thursday's Panel Overview:
Panelists: Mark Hyman MD; Wayne Jonas MD; Mary Jo Kreitzer PhD, RN; Janet Kahn PhD, NCTMB; David O'Bryon JD (Chiropractic Colleges Rep)
The panelists were very, very versed in integrative/functional medicine. They were articulate and if I were a member of any of the professions they represented, I would have been very proud. Understand that while Dr. Kahn is a massage therapist, she was on both panels representing the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium, and not as a representative of the massage therapy profession. Mr. Weeks, very slying added "I recognize that there are over 300,000 licensed complementary practitioners in this country, 250,000 of which are massage therapists, however I'll have to ask a question in a different way so that this panel can respond." See a problem here???? I've heard a speech stating we had a "seat at the table" (I guess that does not include one on the panel); In addition I've read a blog post which boasts support of the IHPC, again, that support appears to be largely financial. What I didn't see was representation on what could be considered the most important conference that would allow for massage therapists to have true integration into the healthcare system. If you're not in the conversation, well, how much impact are you really going to have? Not to mention, you've paid a ton of money for a seat and didn't even show up!
Friday Panel Overview:
John Weeks, Moderator
DEFINIATELY Google these names (some will repeat from the last panel)
Panelists: Acupucturists: Bill Reddy, Director AAAOM; Naturopathic Physicians: Carl Hangee-Bauer AANP; Mary Lawlor-Homeopathy (yes, homeopathy!); American Holistic Nurses Association: Jeanne Crawford; American Holistic Medical Association Past President Hal Blatman MD; Association of Chiropractic Colleges David O'Bryon; Integrated Healthcare Consortium Dr. Janet Kahn.
got massage therapy?
Remember the title of this panel? "Creating Federal Changes for Integrative Practices: An Update and Exploration from National Leaders" So, does this mean that massage therapy "leaders" are not considered national leaders in this discussion? I suppose this could be understood---I mean we ONLY have 250,000 of the 300,000 licensed complementary professions.
Interestingly enough, the bulk of this panel discussion focused on the possibility of creating a new title for a profession "Integrative Practitioner." I did not specifically hear anyone on the panel endorsing the term "Integrative Practitioner", however Dr. Kahn did state a few concerns. I did speak to the panel and suggested perhaps that 1) We call ourselves healthcare professionals since that term is largely understood; 2) Once you "brand" yourself, your company, your project, or perhaps a profession, that allows people to create "anti" statements and 3) Several references were made to the fact that the chiropractic profession has made great strides both with legislation and with grass roots efforts to in fact, place themselves "at the table" that perhaps Mr. O'Bryon and his fellow associates could focus on "bringing us with them" in the true spirit of integration.
The most poignant statement, for me anyway, was hearing Dr. Blatman say in his response (paraphrasing here) "I'm an MD. My patients call me all sorts of things, most of them call me Hal. Whatever they choose to call me has no effect on the quality of care they receive in my office, or from me." Point taken Hal----(we exchanged business cards----I like his style!)
First, start googling names---because the only names that will be recognizable to the massage therapy community will be John Weeks, moderator of both panels and Executive Director of ACCAHC, and Janet Kahn, Executive Director of IHPC. If you do not recognize those acronyms or names, shame on you----google them as well!
John Weeks was the moderator of both panels:
Thursday's Panel Overview:
Panelists: Mark Hyman MD; Wayne Jonas MD; Mary Jo Kreitzer PhD, RN; Janet Kahn PhD, NCTMB; David O'Bryon JD (Chiropractic Colleges Rep)
The panelists were very, very versed in integrative/functional medicine. They were articulate and if I were a member of any of the professions they represented, I would have been very proud. Understand that while Dr. Kahn is a massage therapist, she was on both panels representing the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium, and not as a representative of the massage therapy profession. Mr. Weeks, very slying added "I recognize that there are over 300,000 licensed complementary practitioners in this country, 250,000 of which are massage therapists, however I'll have to ask a question in a different way so that this panel can respond." See a problem here???? I've heard a speech stating we had a "seat at the table" (I guess that does not include one on the panel); In addition I've read a blog post which boasts support of the IHPC, again, that support appears to be largely financial. What I didn't see was representation on what could be considered the most important conference that would allow for massage therapists to have true integration into the healthcare system. If you're not in the conversation, well, how much impact are you really going to have? Not to mention, you've paid a ton of money for a seat and didn't even show up!
Friday Panel Overview:
John Weeks, Moderator
DEFINIATELY Google these names (some will repeat from the last panel)
Panelists: Acupucturists: Bill Reddy, Director AAAOM; Naturopathic Physicians: Carl Hangee-Bauer AANP; Mary Lawlor-Homeopathy (yes, homeopathy!); American Holistic Nurses Association: Jeanne Crawford; American Holistic Medical Association Past President Hal Blatman MD; Association of Chiropractic Colleges David O'Bryon; Integrated Healthcare Consortium Dr. Janet Kahn.
got massage therapy?
Remember the title of this panel? "Creating Federal Changes for Integrative Practices: An Update and Exploration from National Leaders" So, does this mean that massage therapy "leaders" are not considered national leaders in this discussion? I suppose this could be understood---I mean we ONLY have 250,000 of the 300,000 licensed complementary professions.
Interestingly enough, the bulk of this panel discussion focused on the possibility of creating a new title for a profession "Integrative Practitioner." I did not specifically hear anyone on the panel endorsing the term "Integrative Practitioner", however Dr. Kahn did state a few concerns. I did speak to the panel and suggested perhaps that 1) We call ourselves healthcare professionals since that term is largely understood; 2) Once you "brand" yourself, your company, your project, or perhaps a profession, that allows people to create "anti" statements and 3) Several references were made to the fact that the chiropractic profession has made great strides both with legislation and with grass roots efforts to in fact, place themselves "at the table" that perhaps Mr. O'Bryon and his fellow associates could focus on "bringing us with them" in the true spirit of integration.
The most poignant statement, for me anyway, was hearing Dr. Blatman say in his response (paraphrasing here) "I'm an MD. My patients call me all sorts of things, most of them call me Hal. Whatever they choose to call me has no effect on the quality of care they receive in my office, or from me." Point taken Hal----(we exchanged business cards----I like his style!)
So, what are we? Are we invested in a title? Are we invested in the ability to have the choice to practice along side conventional medical practitioners? Are we invested in delivery options to our clients who may or may not choose to integrate various methods in getting the results THEY want?
What do WE want. We'd better start talking!!!
Finally, both Chris and I had the opportunity to speak with the National Certification Board Members who were present at the conference. Christy Schumacher, Ronni Burns, Sue Tuscano and Randy Snyder. All four of these board members were VERY receptive to questions, gave answers and were more than willing to hear from us, the massage therapists. One even stated, that it didn't matter if the therapist was nationally certified-----they felt it was important that they hear from us, and so, I would encourage you to contact them personally. They have email addresses, they have practices, they have phone numbers. Use them.
As we go through our notes, I'm sure we will have more info, but the point here is-----we have numbers, we love to discuss our thoughts, views, anger, frustration and praise through the various social media outlets. That's helpful, but it's not enough. Writing a check to support the organizations is not enough. We need a voice. We need to be clear what we stand for as a PROFESSION, not as a specific modality that we may or may not practice.
If you've yet to review or provide comments on the second draft of the MTBOK, the deadline is March 8. I'd suggest you look----and comment now. Start at the Preamble and Overview (page 4-lines 67-68) "...draft document by members of the MTBOK Task force, who represent you, the massage therapy and affiliated communities." Um, is this the MT&AC Body of Knowledge? If you read further, I think you'll see what I mean. We can't be all things to all people.
What do WE want. We'd better start talking!!!
Finally, both Chris and I had the opportunity to speak with the National Certification Board Members who were present at the conference. Christy Schumacher, Ronni Burns, Sue Tuscano and Randy Snyder. All four of these board members were VERY receptive to questions, gave answers and were more than willing to hear from us, the massage therapists. One even stated, that it didn't matter if the therapist was nationally certified-----they felt it was important that they hear from us, and so, I would encourage you to contact them personally. They have email addresses, they have practices, they have phone numbers. Use them.
As we go through our notes, I'm sure we will have more info, but the point here is-----we have numbers, we love to discuss our thoughts, views, anger, frustration and praise through the various social media outlets. That's helpful, but it's not enough. Writing a check to support the organizations is not enough. We need a voice. We need to be clear what we stand for as a PROFESSION, not as a specific modality that we may or may not practice.
If you've yet to review or provide comments on the second draft of the MTBOK, the deadline is March 8. I'd suggest you look----and comment now. Start at the Preamble and Overview (page 4-lines 67-68) "...draft document by members of the MTBOK Task force, who represent you, the massage therapy and affiliated communities." Um, is this the MT&AC Body of Knowledge? If you read further, I think you'll see what I mean. We can't be all things to all people.
Views: 55
Comment
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Comment by Angela Palmier on March 3, 2010 at 11:05am
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Mike, we've considered doing something like that and are actually working on it now. Chris and I share a calendar which has all of the events that could potentially have an impact---or have a direct impact on the profession. We're trying to figure out how to share that calendar-----There are approximately 45 events in the next several months that fit in those categories. It is quite a lot of work to research those-but as you state, we need to get involved and know what's going on. It's important for us to support the work of the organizations----and sheepwalking through the process just won't work.
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Comment by Mike Hinkle on March 3, 2010 at 10:43am
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I agree Vlad. If 6/7 of this group are massage therapists and representation is this slight on this board and in the discussions. Angela is right therapists need get involved and know what is going on in all things the profession is being used for.
Are we actually shutting ourselves out, by just allowing a few individuals to represent the entire industry? Where is the media covering this event? Myself included as I have Massage News. We need a listing of all massage related events in one location for therapists so that at least folks in the area near the event can attend and pass on information to the other therapists. Most therapists are just trying to make a living and don't get involved. But there are those that will choose to address the political side of the profession, if they know pre-event.
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Comment by Vlad on March 3, 2010 at 10:16am
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None of the big org reps were on the panels, though. right?
Or am I confused here...?
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Comment by Laura Allen on March 3, 2010 at 5:36am
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Angela had mentioned that several people from the NCBTMB were there, which I included in the original posting, and I made an addendum to the blog after AMTA confirmed that they did in fact have a representative there.
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I can't edit my posts and it's annoying, so I meant "not one person from a massage therapy organization" in the second paragraph.
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Thanks Angela for posting this - it's VERY interesting. I'm not a "politicy" person, but I still recognize the importance of these types of meetings and discussions, so thanks for keeping us all updated.
I can't believe there was a homeopath up there and not one from a massage therapy. To be honest, I'm totally freakin' disgusted. Yep. It's awful. (I told you I'm not political! :))
OK, so I'm very green with what goes on in this type of thing, so just bear with me if I ask some stupid questions.
Is it a case where people/organizations are asked to be on the panel? Or is a case of organizations more or less being direct about wanting to be on the panel and doing a bit of work to get on there?
I'm all on for a LOT more communication about this type of stuff. I think part of the problem is that some of our leaders/organizations (I have to stress some, because there are some people that are passionate and brilliant at it) think that the LMTs out in our wee practices really don't care about what goes on and that's part of the reason they couldn't be bothered keeping us updated. But I think they don't realize that a lot of us do care because we know it will affect our businesses and the whole direction of the profession - as does the MTBOK.
Thanks again for posting this!
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Below is a cut and paste of my response to Laura's WIBB blog.....it is waiting moderation.
"Thank you Ron for posting. I look forward to reading the press release.I’m not sure that I would agree “very much involved” describes AMTA’s presence at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium as there were no representatives on panels, speakers or a presence in the exhibit hall. Perhaps there were meetings that were not made public? You referred to the “Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium” meeting, so perhaps there was a meeting with that organization outside of the conference.I guess the fact that we have such strong ties with the massage therapy practitioners made us very sensitive to the fact that there was no representation in the discussions. Quite frankly, massage therapy was hardly mentioned during the panel discussions and we would have been so proud to see our organization behind the microphone. You stated “Generally, the association does not make a habit of announcing its attendance at these meetings or its participation in regular conference calls with these groups, because we would be making announcements almost weekly.” I actually believe that updates weekly on your participation would be fantastic. We’re not ”in the know” with regard to the national association activities, and it would be a helpful reminder about one of the benefits of our membership. It would also afford members the opportunity to tweet, share on facebook, post on their websites, etc. I’m sure the workload in communications would increase, but communication is so crucial to the advancement of any professional association. The Symposium is over and what is more important is what happens next. The massage therapy professionals out here are counting on you! I appreciate and acknowledge the dedication, professionalism and experience of the AMTA Staff and Volunteers and also know that the organization is not only in the position, but has the ability to deliver! Go Team!"
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Ron Precht will be weighing in. He sent me an email--and responded on my blog--that AMTA was indeed there.
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Angela,
I put this out in my other blog on WIBB--as per your suggestion--and then I received my copy of Hands On from AMTA a few hours later when the mail came. According to the magazine, AMTA was going to be at that symposium. I have sent an email to find out the scoop!
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And it even goes deeper Angela. I agree, therapists need to see and know the directions that leadership is heading towards. Therapists need to get involved more in their profession. The link below will enlighten many to much.
http://theintegratorblog.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&...
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