NYSAC Update & More Calls Now!!!
June 27, 2010
Three Phone Calls must be made on Monday, & Tuesday (June 28 & 29)
Since the Tuesday June 22 message, there has been a great deal of forward movement in the Assembly. Your calls have gotten the attention of the Speaker’s office and our lobbyist David Carroll is having productive conversations with Assembly Member Deborah Glick’s staff.
The legislative session will extend into next week, probably through Wednesday. We need two things to happen: 1) Speaker Silver needs to direct his staff to move Assembly Bill A03717A onto the floor and 2) Assembly Member Glick needs to move the Bill out of the Higher Education Committee as well.
The Senate Bill S 5512-A (the Senate look-alike) is ready to move, but the Senate will not act until the Assembly has committed to moving the bill. All our energy needs to be focused on the Assembly.
Our Assembly sponsor Assembly Member Grace Meng is working very hard right now on our behalf. She needs our help. Please make these three calls ASAP.
Three Phone Calls that must be made on Friday, Monday, & Tuesday (June 25, 28, 29)
Making these calls sooner than later is best.
If you have already called these offices find any New York State voter and get them to call. Callers can be friends, parents, patients etc… But calls must be made!!
Please continue to be courteous and friendly. We have been complemented on the quality of the calls. Keep up the good work.
Please make these calls or have someone else make them now.
1) Assembly Member Glick (Chair Higher Education Committee) – 518-455-4841
“My name is _______________. “
“I am calling to ask that Assembly Member Deborah Glick move Assembly Bill A03717A Meng (SAME AS Senate Bill S 5512-A). This bill has been held in the Higher Education Committee for three years. This bill has a positive impact on the profession of acupuncture and patient care.”
If you are in her district say: “I vote in his district and this bill is critical to me.”
If you are Asian or Asian-American say:
“I am a member of the Asian American Community and this bill is important to our community.”
Then Say: “Please ask the Assembly Member Glick to move this bill. Thank you.”
2) Sheldon Silver Speaker of the Assembly – 518-455-3791
And say:
“My name is _______________.
“I am calling to ask that Speaker Silver help move Assembly Bill A03717A Meng (SAME AS Senate Bill S 5512-A). This bill has been held in the Higher Education Committee for three years. This bill has a positive impact on the profession of acupuncture and patient care.”
If you are in his district say: “I vote in his district and this bill is critical to me.”
If you are Asian or Asian-American say:
“I am a member of the Asian American Community and this bill is important to our community.”
Then Say: “Please ask the Speaker to move this bill. Thank you.”
3) Then Call Judy Rapfogel, Senior Staff to Sheldon Silver – 518-455-3791 ask that the message be given to Ms. Rapfogel and say:
“My name is _______________.
“I am calling to ask that Ms. Rapfogel help Speaker Silver help move Assembly Bill A03717A Meng ( SAME AS Senate Bill S 5512-A). This bill has been held in the Higher Education Committee for three years. This bill has a positive impact on the profession of acupuncture and patient care..”
If you are in his district say: “I vote in his district and this bill is critical to me.”
If you are Asian or Asian-American say:
“I am a member of the Asian American Community and this bill is important to our community.”
Then Say: “Please ask the Speaker to move this bill. Thank you.”
NYSAC CRITICAL ACTION NOW
June 22, 2010
We have a make or break option on our herbs bill for this legislative session. After Friday we are either law or pushed off to 2011. If you are in Manhattan or Chinatown, your action is most critical, but everyone needs to call.
For over 3 years, NYSAC and ASNY have been working to get herbs in the legal scope of practice of acupuncturists in New York. But right now, Deborah Glick is holding us up. We need to ask the Speaker’s office to help move the bill. Grace Meng is working very hard right now on our behalf. Please make these two calls ASAP.
Two Phone Calls that must be made on Wednesday, June 23 between 9:00 am and 4:00pm
1) Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly
Call his Albany Office: 518-455-3791
And say:
“My name is _______________.
“I am calling to ask that Speaker Silver help move Assembly Bill A03717A Meng (SAME AS Senate Bill S 5512-A). This bill has been held in the Higher Education Committee for three years. This bill has a positive impact on the profession of acupuncture and patient care.”
If you are in his district say: “I vote in his district and this bill is critical to me.”
If you need to check on his district boundaries go to this link to check on the map of the 64th Assembly District (Chinatown, lower east side, Staten Island
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=64&sh=map
If you are Asian or Asian-American say:
“I am a member of the Asian American Community and this bill is important to our community.”
Then Say: “Please ask the Speaker to help get this bill to the floor for a vote. Thank you.”
2) Then Call Judy Rapfogel, Senior Staff to Sheldon Silver
Call: 518-455-3791 ask that the message be given to Ms. Rapfogel and say:
“My name is _______________.
“I am calling to ask that Ms. Rapfogel help Speaker Silver help move Assembly Bill A03717A Meng ( SAME AS Senate Bill S 5512-A). This bill has been held in the Higher Education Committee for three years. This bill has a positive impact on the profession of acupuncture and patient care.”
If you are in his district say: “I vote in his district and this bill is critical to me.”
If you are Asian or Asian-American say:
“I am a member of the Asian American Community and this bill is important to our community.”
Then Say: “Please ask the Speaker to help get this bill to the floor for a vote. Thank you.”
URGENT NYSAC ACTION TODAY
June 10, 2010
We now have a “look alike bill” in both the Senate (S.5512A) and the Assembly (A.03717A). Assembly Member Meng has amended her bill as requested. We have recently achieved acceptance of our legislation’s language from the New York State Education Department. This acceptance was based on technical amendments made by Senator Suzi Oppenheimer our Senate Sponsor.
Both bills now need to be placed on the agenda and moved forward out of the higher education committees of both the Senate and the Assembly.
It is urgent that we immediately and courteously call, fax, email and write to
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
Re: Senate S..5512A Oppenheimer & Nozzolio
Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
Assembly A.03717A Meng
Please express your support for these bills and ask them (the Chairs Stavisky and Glick) or their staff to place these bills on the agenda and move them forward so that they can be brought to the floor for a vote.
Time and input is of the essence. Our lobbyist has asked us to call their offices (both Albany and District to express support for these bills and to ask that these bills be moved forward and voted on this session. Stress that we have been working on this legislation for three years, that NYSED has no objection, there is no cost to NY State, and that this benefits and protects patients.
After you call, please email a copy of your letter of support to the office, and then fax an mail a hard copy. Please fax and mail to both Albany and the District Offices.
As before templates are provided and all contact information including phone numbers are below.
Assembly Member Deborah J.. Glick
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
The Honorable Deborah J. Glick
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
New York State Assembly
LOB 717
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4841
Click here to download this letter
The Honorable Deborah J. Glick
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
New York State Assembly
853 Broadway
Suite 1518
New York, NY 10003
212-674-5153
Click here to download this letter
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
The Honorable Toby Ann Stavisky
New York State Senate
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
509 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Tel: (518) 455-3461
Fax: (518) 426-6857
Click here to download this letter
The Honorable Toby Ann Stavisky
New York State Senate
Chair, Committee on Higher Education
144-36 Willets Point Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11357
Tel: (718) 445-0004
Fax: (718) 445-8398
Email address: stavisky@senate.state.ny.us
Progress in 2010 Legislative Session
April 20, 2010
Coalition leadership, Kathy Taromina, Kevin Ergil and Michael Jabbour, continue to press forward on the issue of correcting the scope of acupuncturists in New York and improving patient care and our professional status. Senate Bill 5512, sponsored by Susie Oppenheimer, and its “look alike” in the assembly, sponsored by Grace Meng, has recently been the subject of productive conversation with the New York State Higher Education Department, and it is hoped that the bill may move out of committee this year. The goal of the bill is to make the statutory scope of practice of acupuncture conform to the traditional scope, including the use of herbs that are part of acupuncture in Oriental (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) medicine. The bill will also alter the composition of the state board to reflect the traditional scope of practice, require additional certification and continuing education in relation to such practice, and change the current law to establish acupuncturists as mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse and maltreatment.
Taromina Ethics Class in Long Island to benefit NYSAC
January 7, 2009
Michael Taromina Ethics Class in Long Island Sponsored by ASNY to benefit NYASC
When: Sunday January 18th 9am-1pm
Where: New York College of TCM 155 First Street, Mineola, NY 11501
Fee: Students $65, Professionals $75
CEU Info: 4 PDA’s awarded that fulfill the NCCAOM requirement for Ethics and Safety
Course Description:
This course delivers a detailed overview of AOM professional ethics, liability and risk by examining real cases. In the sensitive field of health care, a misconduct complaint or lawsuit is not always a result of a practitioner’s bad behavior or judgment. Experienced and careful practitioners routinely find themselves facing the prospect of damaging professional disciplinary actions or litigation because they failed to utilize effective risk management strategies. This course will provide practitioners with effective risk management strategies.
Topics covered will include:
-Overview and emerging trends of risk for alternative health care providers
-Avoiding common ethical pitfalls for well-intentioned practitioners
-The correlation between NCCAOM and state misconduct complaints
-The relationship between litigation and ethical complaints
-In-depth analysis of real cases
Presenter:
Michael Taromina, Esq. has an extensive background representing and educating Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine practitioners, institutions, organizations and students. As the Chair of NCCAOMs Professional Ethics & Disciplinary Committee he co-drafted the Code of Ethics and Grounds for Discipline and oversees the adjudication of misconduct cases from all over the country. As legal counsel to New York State Acupuncture Coalition (NYSAC) he has served an integral role in the drafting and lobbying effort to amend the New York State Acupuncture statute. He is also a Public Board Member (Alternate) of AAAOM and legal advisor to AAAOMs Herbal Medicine Committee, NCCAOMs Regulatory Affairs Task Force, TCM World Foundation, Acupuncture Society of New York (ASNY) and Chinese Medical Science Foundation (CMSF). As a faculty member, Michael has designed and taught courses in health law, biomedical ethics, liability and practice management at Touro Colleges Graduate Program for Oriental Medicine, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Tri-State College of Acupuncture, New York College of Health Professions, Eastern School of Acupuncture & Traditional Medicine, Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences and Mercy College.
Contact: James Shinol at Thinkacupuncture@aol.com or (516)509-5444
