Celebrating our Heritage: The AAAOM 25th Anniversary International Conference and Exposition

Dusk has fallen on yet another Expo Event – Strength through Unification, held at the Portland Hilton, October 18-22, 2007. We always remark that each event grows stronger and better, and this year is no exception. Beyond the ever-increasing growth of our profession which naturally results in increasingly strong events, the 25th Anniversary of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as an organized profession in the United States was rejoiced and celebrated collaboratively by the ACAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM and the AAAOM.

Like the acknowledgments page of a good book, thanks and tributes for all those that contributed are in order. Each year major sponsors come forward and join the AAAOM in supporting the event. This year was no exception: AAC was again a Platinum sponsor, Kan Herb Company and Golden Flower Chinese Herbs were Gold sponsors and KPC Herbs our Bag sponsor. Our attendees may not be aware, but it is your contributions that heighten the amenities and pleasures we experience. Applause to Deborah Lincoln and her faithful conference committee for the eons of hours spent in executing and planning the event; the AAAOM staff for burning the midnight oil in the weeks preceding the conference; Karen Reynolds for the legions of effort given to compiling and honoring our Founders and Leaders in Volume I of this tribute; Marilyn Allen for planning and executing every last detail of our 25th Anniversary Gala – what a party it was!; Ellen Franklin, Donna Carry, Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo for captivating the crowds with singing, chanting and a pealing of Gongs to rejoice in what we have achieved and the open road of opportunity that lies before us; our own Student Organization for their overwhelming support; and our exhibitors – shall we say 63 in number – ahhhhh, the exhibit floor, where the best and finest of products serves and “deals” can be found; our speakers for contributing time and effort in the preparation and execution of your workshops that far outweighed the resources available to support your involvement; to NCCAOM, CCAOM and ACAOM for the hours of co-planning and shared expenses that contributed so significantly to our Gala celebration; and last and most importantly to you, our members and our community for participating and sharing your hard-earned resources by attending this event.

Pre-conference activities opened with a “second-year run” of the Chinese Medical Nomenclature debates, where linguistic experts and scholars discussed translation nuances – from origins to modernity, ranging from ancient Asian tongues to current languages. Miki Shima chaired the panel, with co-chair Dr. Shen and moderator Will Morris. Panelists included Dr. Bum-Sang Shim (the South Korean delegate to the WHO, Pacific Rim Region), Nigel Wiseman, Eric Brand, David Scrimgeour, Doreen Chen and Jeannie Kang.

Always a relevant topic, Ethics and Liability - led by Betsy Smith, Deputy Director of the NCCAOM, and Michael Taromina - generated lively discussion and attendee interaction until late in the evening.

In response to increasing activity pertaining to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) release of its Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing and AAAOM’s ongoing herbal activities, Claudette Baker moderated an informative discussion by the Herbal Update Panel of the impact of the new FDA regulations that included John Scott of Golden Flower Chinese Herbs, Michael McGuffin of the American Herbal Products Association and Mark Thoman.

In an activity the AAAOM uses to assess the pulse of myriad issues upon which our members and the profession place focus, conference attendees participated in a “Chart the Future of OM” session, led by Adam Burke and Chuck Anders. Hand-held input devices allowed participants to register opinions on a series of questions designed to focus AAAOM priorities for the coming year. Results were immediately displayed for discussion. Look for a follow-up report to be published in the next edition of The American Acupuncturist.

Always a favorite for the early risers, AAAOM Board member Bill Reddy led Qi Gong sessions each morning. Bob Duggan’s thought-provoking insights relayed his extensive experience and wisdom on approaching patients with a healing presence and the power of intention and clarity when practicing AOM. Heiner Freuhoff discussed the cosmological and alchemical roots of Chinese Medicine, while Susan Johnson shared her extensive knowledge of Master Tung’s Magic Points. Infertility and chronic viral pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis C and Herpes were discussed by Miki Shima. Misha Cohen shared the Chinese herbs most effective in treating Endometriosis. Jamie Wu shared his thirty years of experience in an in-depth course on Ying-Wei theory and Honora Wolfe, spoke on starting an herbal pharmacy.

Saturday’s Awards Luncheon honored two Acupuncturists of the Year: Leslie Mcgee and Will Morris, Presidents Emeritus of the AAAOM and AAOM, respectively. The two were an inseparable team in leading the AAAOM reunification efforts, resulting in one of the most significant events in our quarter century history. This year the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) received the School of the Year Award for their administration’s trail-blazing efforts that resulted in the school’s investment of 101 new members in the AAAOM Student Organization as well as an equal number of student attendees at the annual event; OCOM also funded 50% of the students’ annual membership and attendance costs.

One of the conference’s highlights was the incredible 25th Anniversary Banquet hosted by Marilyn Allen. The semi-formal Gala began with a Gong Ceremony. Guests were then greeted personally in reception lines formed by current and former board-members of the ACAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM and AAAOM. Each received a beautiful book filled with interviews by Karen Reynolds of Pioneers and Leaders of the AOM profession who created and promoted its foundation and growth in its quarter century journey in the U.S.; her contributions to this year’s event touched and embraced both the breadth of time and the expanse of their lives. This historical litany will progress forward with Volume II, as we continue to identify and chronicle this journey through uncharted territory.

A moment of silence and reverence touched the evening’s event as we honored the passing of one of our community’s younger practitioners: Evan Ross. In his short life, Evan left a lasting legacy to this profession, pioneering integrative medicine as the Director of Acupuncture Services for Los Angeles’ Cedars Sinai. Evan was to have teamed in teaching an 8-hour workshop on Integrative Medicine at this year’s event. His partner in this effort, Jeanette Painovich, went forward to teach the workshop through the collaboration and support of Tony Kuo, Director of Senior Health for the City of Los Angeles. Karen Reynolds has written a tribute in which she states: “For those of you who knew Evan Ross, you know all too well one mark of his character was that of sobering practicality in the face of extreme challenges. In the years of our friendship, I repeatedly witnessed his solidly grounded, placid countenance in the face of dire physical, spiritual and emotional circumstances. Not only was this approach present in treating his oncology patient population, but also with respect to those conditions which impacted him personally.”

The AAAOM is known for the diversity and depth of its classes, all designed to expand the horizons and knowledge base of the practitioner community the AAAOM serves. Other workshops taught at this year’s event included: Improving Health Outcomes, by Adam Burke; TCM Strategies for the Relief of Asthma in Children, by Christopher Huson; Diabetes – Treatment and Prevention with TCM, by Xiaotian Shen; Translation of Chinese Medical Terms by Nigel Wiseman; A Case Study of the Community Acupuncture Model by Jeffrey Weih; Codex Alimentarius by Jim Turner and Michael McGuffin; OM Doctoral Programs by Terry Courtney, et al; The Use of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults by Tony Kuo; Music of the Spheres: Sound Healing and OM by Donna Carey and Ellen Franklin; Pills, Powders and Tinctures by Honora Wolfe; Qi-Gong for Healing Heart and Mind – Parts I and II by Master Li Jun Feng; Acupuncture and TCM Treatments by Dr. Gu and translated by Christine Chang; Vision, Nutrition and OM by Marc Grossman, The Yellow Emperor Meets Freud and Piaget by Philip Kosdon; and a two-part Post-Convention workshop on Beauty, Health and Well-Being, with Part 1 taught by Amy Sear and Part II taught by Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo. Additionally, AAAOM sponsored public tracks for our patient community for the first time: What is Acupuncture and OM; The Use of CAM for Older Adults; OM, Healthy Aging and Facial Renewal; and Breast Cancer and OM - taught by Jeanette Rockers, Tony Kuo, Mary Elizabeth Wakefield / MichelAngelo and Amy Sear, respectively.

Another significant highlight of this year’s event came through the magnitude of student involvement, both in depth of contribution and sheer numbers. Students attended from all over the country, with 118 registered from the Portland area alone. The AAAOM Student organization, AAAOM-SO, has accelerated its growth over the past year – up 139%. Student event highlights from this year’s Expo will be featured in the next Qi-Unity Report as well as in the Winter edition of The American Acupuncturist.

This year’s gathering was especially poignant, witnessing reunification between the AAOM and the AOM Alliance, as well as recognizing the culmination of 25 years’ effort and accomplishment among our community. The record-breaking attendance, the support of so many vendors and the participation of all the national AOM organizations was a tribute to how our profession has grown and thrived, promising a bright future.