The Canadian Association of Acupuncture
and Traditional Chinese Medicine (CAATCM) was incorporated in
1994 as a non-profit, multi-discipline professional association to promote
and improve the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture
in the prevention and treatment of diseases, and restoration and maintenance
of health.
We regard
the health and well-being of our clients as our primary responsibility,
and we strive to meet their needs and help them attain their optimal level
of health.
We maintain
that there should be acceptable standards of practice, both academic and
clinical, in TCM and Acupuncture to ensure the quality of care provided
by the practitioners of TCM and acupuncture meets the expectations of
the general public.
We advocate
that acupuncture is an integral part of TCM, and not a separate entity.
It is one of the treatment modalities used in TCM and should only be applied
after appropriate assessment and proper differential diagnosis are made
to achieve the desired therapeutic results.
We insist
that acupuncture practitioners must be knowledgeable in the fundamentals
of TCM and be proficient in the assessment techniques in order to arrive
at the proper diagnosis and offer the appropriate treatment.
We are confident
that TCM and acupuncture offer effective treatment alternatives to our
clients in seeking optimal health. TCM addresses the causes of the disease
and their appropriate treatments through acupuncture, herbal therapy,
diet, exercise and tuina.
We are committed
to continuing education to broaden our knowledge base, keep us abreast
with current developments in the medical field, and enable us to provide
better quality service to our clients.
We feel that
practitioners of TCM and acupuncture deserve proper professional recognition.
We believe the establishment of a self-regulating College of Traditional
Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners is an essential step towards
this goal.
In the past, we have been instrumental in the development of the Ontario
Acupuncture Examination, taking the first step to establish minimum standards
for acupuncturists. To date, there have been hundreds of acupuncture practitioners
who have sat and passed this Examination.
We have made
presentations on behalf of our profession to the Health Professions Regulatory
Advisory Council (HPRAC) regarding self-regulation and the establishment
of a College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners
to monitor such functions.
Dr. James
Yuan, our Association Chairman, made submissions to the federal government's
Sector Study for Complementary and Alternative Health Care on behalf of
practitioners in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
We have maintained
a close relationship with different levels of government to lobby for
self-regulation of our profession.
We have organized
many continuing education sessions, inviting professors in TCM and acupuncture
at universities in China to come and give presentations on related topics
to keep our members abreast with recent developments in TCM and new treatment
protocols.
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