The AANP’s tool box just doubled in size. With the addition of former Pennsylvania Legislator Gene McGill to the AANP staff, we just increased our footprint enormously. This week Gene travels with Dr. Renee Awad (PA) and Dr. Courtney Jackson (CO) to Louisville, KY, for the National Council of State Legislators (NCSL) annual Legislative Summit. AANP is a long standing exhibitor of the NCSL, an event attracting more than 7,000 legislators, spouses and staff.
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Our states, licensed and unlicensed, are replete with unsung heroes who put in enormous hours at the sacrifice of family and practice to grow the profession and ensure legal parity for naturopathic doctors. A special thanks to NDNR for highlighting this work and Stockton’s contributions. Indeed volunteerism is the heart of AANP.
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As legislative sessions continue to draw to a close, the work for 2011 begins to accelerate. Successes continue for the naturopathic profession, both in the form of victories and, equally important, significant progress toward victory. Regulatory work is also underway in Hawaii and in Washington, DC — a reminder to everyone that once legislation becomes law, the real work begins.
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Naturopathic medicine in Kansas has taken its next step with a transformation from ‘registration’ to ‘licensure.’ On April 19, Governor Parkinson of Kansas signed into law the Naturopathic Doctor Licensing Act. As licensed practitions, rather than registered providers, patient access to naturopathic medicine in Kansas will increase, since insurers, laboratories, and regulators will be more apt to recognize naturopathic services.
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Tenacity is defined as
the quality of being determined to do or achieve something; firmness of purpose; "his determination showed in his every movement"; "he is a man of purpose." Clearly then, naturopathic medicine is the shining example of modern day tenacity. Against the odds, our volunteer advocates across the country continue on the quest to ensure every American has access to our highly skilled and trained NDs.
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It promises to be a rich year for the naturopathic profession. Health freedom efforts continue with a new twist based on a law passed in New Mexico that essentially allows for diagnosis and treatment, including Gerson Therapy (named in the bill) and potentially photoluminescence.
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The 2010 legislative season is moving into high gear – already more than 50 bills containing references to naturopathy, naturopathic or naturopathic medicine have been introduced. AANP is preparing to face challenges and pursue opportunities in concert with the leadership of our State Associations. Over the past few years it has become increasingly evident that the issues facing our states are move alike than dislike, even when it comes to licensure vs. increased scope of practice.
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AANP is a member of the Coalition for Patients’ Rights (CPR), a group of over 35 healthcare associations representing more than three million licensed healthcare providers in the United States. The Coalition is committed to ensuring comprehensive healthcare choices for all patients. AANP state affiliates will benefit greatly from our relationship with the Coalition, utilizing training and press materials as well as allying with other member groups in legislative efforts to expand and modernize our scope of practice. This work will also benefit licensing efforts across the country.
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This year, we saw the introduction of numerous bills relating to licensure of naturopathic physicians. AANP state affiliates worked diligently in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia to forward our goal of providing access to naturopathic care to all Americans. However, these efforts faced the two-fold challenge of limited state budgets to support naturopathic boards, and opposition from the allopathic medical community and those who refer to themselves as traditional naturopaths.
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October is a quiet month for legislative news, with most states discussing plans for the 2010 legislative session internally. However, we do have some news to announce from Minnesota and Illinois. In Minnesota, registration of NDs has finally begun. Minnesota passed a bill in 2008 to register NDs with broad scope, which includes physical examination, clinical laboratory testing, physiological function testing, and ordering of imaging.
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The AANP plays an active role at the National Foundation of Women Legislators, with Karen Howard holding a seat on its Board and naturopathic physicians in attendance at their annual conference. Working with this bipartisan organization of elected officials from all over the country is enormously rewarding. Our relationship with NFWL and its value are best summed up by Dr. Rena Bloom below. No doubt the results of this work and the service of our volunteers will have enormous impact on 2010 legislative efforts.
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