Investing in the Success of Your Profession and Your Practice:

Volunteer and Let Your Suggestions be Heard

The NCCAOM staff and I hope you are enjoying and taking advantage of the beautiful days of summer. This time of the year provides us the opportunity to pause to thank the many volunteers that have contributed to the success of the NCCAOM. Without our volunteers, we would not be the organization that we are today. I am pleased to report to our Diplomates that during the last several years the number of volunteers affiliated with the NCCAOM have more than tripled. For many years, there has been a group of dedicated and highly motivated volunteers who have served as an invaluable resource to the organization. I continue to be most impressed with the breadth and depth of knowledge and enthusiasm that our volunteers bring to their committee work and I am in awe of the unique perspectives that our volunteers bring to the Board, committees and special taskforces. The NCCAOM has a rich tapestry of volunteers woven from an array of talented, seasoned and energetic practitioners who over the years have lent their experience and leadership skills in a variety of ways to provide expertise as subject matter experts for our certification exams development, eligibility standards, recertification requirements and renewal process which includes the Professional Development Activities (PDA) courses and the promotion of our NCCAOM Diplomates.

Committees, taskforces and panels are established by the NCCAOM’s Board of Commissioners to assist with governing the organization more effectively and efficiently. Examination Development Committees (EDCs) are established to provide ongoing services, among which are to create, validate and set the passing standards for the NCCAOM exams. Members of the NCCAOM EDCs serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who also contribute to the ongoing development of the NCCAOM examination item banks.

Other committees assist the Board by investigating, deliberating, and analyzing special issues or policies affecting our applicants and candidates for certification, and our Diplomates who recertify. Committee initiatives allow for the majority of the Board’s work to take place between meetings which further allows the Commissioners to focus on their fiduciary responsibilities, strategic goal setting and deliberation on motions generated from our committees, taskforces or panels. Board members, therefore, discuss and deliberate on critical policy changes and other initiatives generated by these appointed groups.

While the NCCAOM has certain standing committees of the Board, occasionally taskforces or panels are created for a very specific time-limited purpose. A Taskforce is a separate group of individuals assigned by the Board of Commissioners to research or study a specific initiative. Currently, for example, the NCCAOM has convened two taskforces, one to study how acupuncturists are being hired and credentialed in hospital-based practice and another to work on advocacy and promotion of NCCAOM Diplomates. Another special advisory group assigned by the Board of Commissioners is a Panel, which is convened from time to time to look at reoccurring activities such as Job Analysis, or to perform a very high-level strategic initiative which will issue a special report to the board. A previous example of this type of activity was the Blue Ribbon Panel on International Eligibility.

Have you ever thought about giving your time to the profession? Although participation as a volunteer involves a commitment of time and effort, sometimes resulting in many hours of work, there are real immediate and long-range benefits both for the organization and for the volunteer. Although the specific volunteer activities in which you participate might not be directly related to your job, you can still acquire important skills for the future. These skills will add to your resume and increase your credibility as a knowledgeable and skilled practitioner. Probably most important to your career is that volunteering helps you expand your professional and personal network. Volunteering is actually a social activity that allows you to interact with many new people. You will make new contacts and friends.

The NCCAOM is grateful for the expertise and dedication of all of its volunteers and is continually seeking potential members from the community to serve on its committees. Committee members will not only have the benefit of volunteering for a national organization, but they will also receive professional development activity points toward recertification.

We do have immediate needs for recruiting volunteers for Exam Development Committees and the Recertification Committee. If you have an interest in serving, there is a specific procedure to apply. The information can be found on the NCCAOM website. It contains the volunteer application at the bottom of the NCCAOM Governance page. (Volunteer Information). Once the volunteer application is completed, the form, along with the individual’s résumé or curriculum vitae may be forwarded to the NCCAOM Executive Office to the attention of Melissa Dow, Coordinator of Executive and Volunteer Services ([email protected]). The documents are reviewed for potential committee, taskforce or panel appointment and a conference call would be arranged with the CEO.

You will also find an announcement about our upcoming Diplomate Satisfaction Survey in this e-newsletter. In an effort to continue to build on existing services as well as add new ones, we encourage you to participate in the upcoming 2015 NCCAOM^® Diplomate Satisfaction Survey. This survey is the sixth such survey that the NCCAOM has conducted since 2005 and it is our desire to continually reach a higher level of satisfaction from our Diplomates as we strive for excellence in service. This is why it is important for us to hear your voice through the survey process. All active Diplomates will be receiving the NCCAOM^® 2015 Diplomate Satisfaction Survey by email. We plan to announce the results of the survey in the next edition of the Diplomate newsletter this fall. Please contact Olga Cox at [email protected] if you have any questions about the survey process.

Again, it is important for me to emphasize that none of our accomplishments would have been possible wit hout our NCCAOM volunteer program and receipt of your comments and suggestions through our regular satisfaction surveys. I want to personally thank all NCCAOM volunteers who have worked side-by-side with the NCCAOM Commissioners and staff to achieve a new standard of excellence for the profession. Your contributions and support are truly appreciated by the NCCAOM Board of Commissioners, staff and the NCCAOM community of stakeholders.