PDA NEWSLETTER: JANUARY 2021

• NCCAOM Featured PDA Provider
• CE Banking Update
• What’s New in 2020-2021
• PDA Question of the Quarter

Welcome to the first edition of the NCCAOM^® PDA Newsletter! Our first new item in 2021 is to feature an NCCAOM PDA Provider in each issue of the PDA Newsletter. At the end of each edition, the featured Provider will be posted to the NCCAOM website.

Dan Wunderlich, DACM, Dipl. O.M. (NCCAOM)^®, L.Ac., L.M.T.

NCCAOM PDA Provider #992

NCCAOM would like to congratulate NCCAOM Diplomate and PDA Provider Dan Wunderlich for his winning video submission in the NCCAOM/ ASA 2020 Acupuncture Medicine Day Video Contest. Dan’s video entitled “Bringing Acupuncture Medicine to the Underserved” was selected as the winner in the Acupuncture Accessibility and Community Engagement category. The uplifting and inspiring video highlights the medical outreach work of Global Healthworks Foundation (GHF), the not-for-profit organization Dan founded. The video can be viewed using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/GHFvideo.

This year’s annual celebration encouraged participants to reflect on the impact acupuncture treatments have within our local and international communities regarding how acupuncture practitioners can “be the voice, be the bridge, be the change” for healing in our hurting world. With its authentic volunteer commentaries and patient testimonials attesting to the far-reaching impact on more than 56,000 underserved patients, the winning video truly represents the acupuncture profession at its best!

To read full article Click Here.

NCCAOM PDA Providers represent a significant achievement and commitment to the professional development of NCCAOM Board-Certified Acupuncturists and the practitioners in acupuncture medicine. PDA Providers make an important statement regarding continued professional competency that is recognized by the profession, regulatory agencies, third-party payors, and the public.

PDA Provider Benefits:

• Joining the NCCAOM as a PDA Provider is a life-time membership to the PDA program. Once approved, a unique NCCAOM PDA Provider number is issued that remains with the Provider for all time.

• As all NCCAOM Providers and courses have been reviewed and approved by the PDA program, the courses are guaranteed to qualify for NCCAOM recertification.

• The new NCCAOM CE Banking further promotes PDA Providers and their approved courses by streamlining the automated process of loading PDA points to the Diplomates NCCAOM Recertification Transcript (see article below).

• PDA Providers receive the benefit of a professional course review service that documents the quality and integrity of an AOM continuing education program.

• Coming Soon! An NCCAOM^® PDA Provider Digital Badge (see right) which showcases the Provider, their initiatives in continuing education and PDA approved courses. The digital badge is designed to be used in all digital presence and profiles such as social media and websites.

• PDA Providers may utilize the NCCAOM^® PDA Activity Logo (see right) that offers immediate recognition by AOM professionals of the course approval by NCCAOM.

• Discounts are available to a PDA Provider who is an Active NCCAOM Diplomate, state acupuncture associations and those companies who are a PDA approved non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

• To support our Providers, we offer Annual Discounted Review (ADR) packages where quantities of course applications may be purchased at a discounted rate.

• PDA Providers benefit from a national advertising opportunity by posting approved courses to the NCCAOM^® PDA Search Engine for continuous access by Diplomates and AOM practitioners. Optional advertising services are available via the NCCAOM^® PDA Course Spotlight or the NCCAOM^® PDA Course Highlights.

• PDA Providers enjoy an online PDA Management System that monitors approved courses, provides an instructor database and an automated NCCAOM^® PDA Certificate of Completion distribution process.

• PDA Providers receive additional recognition in states that require NCCAOM PDA courses for re-licensure.

• PDA Providers receive excellent customer service provided by the PDA Department.

As you know, in CE Banking the PDA points are automatically reported to the Diplomate’s NCCAOM^® Recertification Transcript at the time the PDA Certificate is distributed by the PDA Provider. PDA Providers are being incrementally added to CE Banking after they have successfully distributed the PDA Certificate.

NEW My Learning

To increase Provider and Diplomate satisfaction and reduce problems, the ‘My Learning’ section has been added to the Diplomate’s Certification portal. Diplomates can access this page by clicking on the orange ‘Diplomate Benefits’ button and the ‘My Learning’ tab after logging into the Certification Portal. The Diplomate’s earned PDA Certificates are posted to their account in ‘My Learning’ after being emailed by the Provider. This new service allows the Diplomate to have easy access to their Certificates which can be downloaded or printed. This new feature will resolve issues regarding the Diplomate receiving the PDA Certificate through email increasing satisfaction and streamlining the distribution process for approved PDA Providers.

New PDA Course Type

With the advancement in technology and the recent pandemic, the PDA staff are fast-tracking a new course type called the NCCAOM^® PDA Online Advanced Acupuncture Skill Acquisition which enables PDA Providers to teach an advanced acupuncture technique over the internet. More news to follow as we move closer to implementation.

PDA Course Highlights

When asking the Providers what they wanted most from the PDA Department, the overwhelming answer is assistance getting the word out about their course(s) to practitioners. We have traditionally had the NCCAOM^® PDA Search Engine, and the NCCAOM^® PDA Course Spotlight. Most recently, we have added a mid-level advertising opportunity called the NCCAOM^® PDA Course Highlights. ‘Highlights’ is a sliding display of the Provider’s choice for a picture, logo and course information which is posted to the NCCAOM website in several locations for a period of one month at a cost of $200. Discounts continue to be available for Active Diplomates and non-profit associations. Interested? Applications are being accepted here for the month of February 2021.

NCCAOM PDA Digital Badge

To recognize our PDA Providers who partner with NCCAOM, the PDA program is pleased to announce the new NCCAOM^® PDA Digital Badge. The digital badge is an electronic logo, that can be posted to your website, resume, email, or any social media site where Diplomates and practitioners can learn about your efforts in continuing education. When clicked upon, the badge will provide information about your Providership and a link to a listing of your approved course(s). We are very excited to offer this badge to our Providers!

Redesign of the PDA Portion of the NCCAOM Website

In our continued effort to make information more accessible and to further market our approved PDA Providers and Courses, we have reorganized and updated the PDA portion of the NCCAOM website. Under the main Education tab, we have created a “PDA Provider Home Page” that houses all the information for Providers. We have developed new and more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to apply for live and distance learning applications, how to renew a course and steps to distribute the PDA Certificate.

PDA Tool Kit and Resource Center
The NCCAOM^® PDA Handbook is extensive and so much of the important information is lost in it!  So, to help access information faster, we have created the ‘PDA Tool Kit’ that house many ‘How To’ documents and links to resources. Lastly, we brought all the forms, applications, fee schedule and handbooks to one location call the ‘PDA Resource Center’. This is just the beginning! We have more plans to add resources for our Providers under the Education tab. We encourage you to explore the new Education tab.

There are 19,988 active NCCAOM National Board-Certified Acupuncturists™ Living and Practicing Throughout the World!

How many weeks does it take a course application to go through the PDA review process?  

Enter a raffle drawing for a chance to win a free spot in the new NCCAOM^® PDA Course Highlights by answering the “PDA Question of the Quarter”:

Submit Your Raffle Drawing Entry Here

Hint: All answers to the PDA Question of the Quarter can be found on the NCCAOM website.