Final Convention Thoughts and Planning for the 2011-2012 Fiscal Year

By Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc
AANP President

The next Board meeting will take place this November at Bastyr University in Washington.

It’s hard to believe it’s September already! After a very busy summer leading up to the AANP convention in Portland, it’s been nice to wind down and catch our breaths before moving into Fall.

For those of you who joined us in Portland, it was a fun and busy week. Great presentations, great food, great friends - our 25th convention/celebration met all of our goals as we looked back on what we’ve accomplished and look forward to our future. Some of the highlights spots for me were:

• Hearing Dr. Jim Sensenig, our 1st AANP President, speak to our community at the banquet.
• Learning from Dr. Steve Austin about nutrition updates.
• Laughing with Jacob Schor, ND, and Rena Bloom, ND, in their Gelotology presentation.
• Celebrating with a few hundred of my closest friends and colleagues.
• Reflecting on our history with Dr. Jared Zeff and Dr. Joe Pizzorno.
• Getting a glimpse of the big picture from Josephine Briggs, MD, Director of NCCAM.

There were many moments like these for all of us. As usual, I returned home reinvigorated, refreshed and ready to apply the lessons I learned in my practice.

Results of our elections were announced and I am pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Cronin as our next President-Elect and Dr. Joe Pizzorno, Dr. Holly Lucille, Dr. Keri Marshall, Dr. Cindy Breed, and Carrie Runde, ND (Cand.) as our new Board members. Their terms begin January 1, 2011. I am extremely impressed with the knowledge, professionalism and experience these doctors bring to the AANP Board, and look forward to working with all of them over the next few years.

As you know we had the first competitive elections for President-Elect in the AANP’s history and were fortunate to be able to choose between two well-qualified candidates, Dr. Michael Cronin and Dr. Tim Birdsall. I want to congratulate Mike for his campaign and election and will work closely with him as he takes on a greater leadership role, and I want to acknowledge and thank Tim for his service to the profession and his leadership over the years. We are fortunate to have these doctors representing naturopathic medicine and serving our profession in the many ways they do.

Our outgoing Board members Bill Benda, MD; Tabatha Parker, ND; Michelle Clark, ND; Sara Thyr, ND; and Lise Alschuler, ND, have given so much to the AANP and the naturopathic profession during their time on the Board, their accomplishments are too numerous to mention here. Dr. Benda is a bridge-builder who sees the big picture of where we need to move forward and reminds us of how to live this in our daily lives. He has truly been the soul of our Board. Dr. Parker reminds us of the global impact of our medicine and the opportunities we have to affect true healthcare change; she has been our visionary. Dr. Clark is our expert on state licensing and political trends; she has guided us in politics and policy. Dr. Thyr has organized and guided the educational offerings at our conventions and has thus served as our teacher. And finally, Dr. Lise Alschuler has been the heart of our Board. Through her term as President and all of the various roles she’s played, Lise has been steady, reliable, dedicated, and impassioned to see the naturopathic profession become a credible piece of the health care system. We have been so fortunate to have these people step up for naturopathic medicine. They will be sorely missed and we wish all of them well in their future endeavors. Please thank them for all of their hard work and dedication the next time you see them.

Now that the dust has settled, we get back to work. This Fall, the Board and staff will focus on the AANP work plan and budget for 2011-2012, evaluating and improving internal processes as we prepare for 2012. The work plan and budget are key areas where the Board and staff work together to plan for and prioritize our near-term goals. The Board sets the strategic vision and goals, emphasizing areas to focus our intention upon. The staff takes this input and translates it into action steps with budget allotments. There is much back-and-forth in this process, and it is some of the most important work we do in our annual planning process. Our next Board meeting will be at Bastyr campus on November 13-14th.

AANP's Greatest Hits, Volume 25

By Bill Benda, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

The pre-Gala reception at the AANP's 25th Anniversary Convention in Portland, Oregon. Photo by Daniel Atlas.

Well, time for another blog submission and mental search for inspiration and hopefully somewhat coherent dialogue. But this time I find the task quite easy, as I get to talk about a few of my favorite people in lieu of philosophy or politics.

This year’s Saturday AANP Gala in Portland was visibly different than those of prior years, notable for the recognition of both past presidents and past recipients of the Physician of the Year award – twice the stage was filled with these luminaries of naturopathic history. It is the organization’s 25th anniversary, after all. But time constraints also necessitated curtailing of the usual recognition of another batch of unsung heroes who have contributed immeasurable time and energy for the benefit of everyone reading this page – those AANP board members whose terms come to a close on December 31st. Given I did not get to stand and applaud for each at the Gala event, I’ve taken blog liberty to remedy this oversight. So without further ado, the envelopes please . . .

I’ll start with Lise Alschuler, as I get to save time by not having to list all of her quite visible achievements, challenges, and contributions as President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the AANP. What has been invisible and underappreciated by our membership is the fact that Lise carried this organization through its transition from what it was to what it is to become, much like a mother carries a pregnancy to term, and likely with the same feelings of unwieldiness and fatigue and “I’m ready to deliver this thing.” Carl Hangee-Bauer gets to birth this new baby, not a comfortable process in itself, but Lise was the lifeblood that ensured its healthy development in the womb.

Sara Thyr was shepherd to the flock of submissions, abstracts, speakers, scheduling, conflicts, and God knows what other machinations that are required to put on the annual conference each year. I personally have attended countless conferences of countless organizations over the years, and the AANP annual event has never had close competition as the premier event of the year, and Sara is the reason why. Plus she had the wisdom to move to the central coast of California.

Michelle Clark has been our Alliance chair and policy wonk, I believe, since she was born. For those of you who have engaged in the parallel universe of politics, her contributions will become clear once you contemplate the mishmash of licensed states and unlicensed states and state medical boards and legislative bodies and 15 different scopes of practice in 15 different jurisdictions and Boyd Landrys and health freedom movements all flavored with the occasional (OK, frequent) last minute disaster.

Which brings me to Tabby Parker, leaving the board after her first term to have her second child. As founder of Natural Doctors International, Tabby has chosen to spend her very lengthy days caring for the underserved on the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua, all the while hosting endless teams of naturopathic physicians and students trekking down to learn and serve alongside her. Tabby has been, for me, the heart and conscience of our board, and she will be missed deeply.

I am leaving the board as well, and I can say it is with mixed longing and relief that these four years are coming to a close. I’m more than certain that all five of us share these contradictory feelings. But as those of you who attended the Gala did not have adequate opportunity to see these people stand in recognition and hold the eternal-flame-recognizing-our-past-and-welcoming-our-future-before-the-band-starts-candles, I ask you to take a moment to silently thank Lise and Sara and Michelle and Tabby. Or better yet, drop them a line and thank them personally. Your lives, and your patients’ lives, are better for their service.

Honoring the Past While Present in the Moment: The 2010 AANP 25th Anniversary Convention

By Karen Howard
AANP Executive Director

AANP President Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc, Executive Director Karen Howard and Board Member Bill Benda, MD, FACEP, FAAEM. Photo by Michele Hangee-Bauer.

AANP’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and Convention was everything we hoped it would be! Creative and collegial, celebratory and cerebral, composed and complete. Celebrating the Foundation of Naturopathic Medicine included the inspiration of Dr. Jared Zeff and the profound insight of Dr. Joe Pizzorno. Sandwiched in between, we were honored to hear from Dr. Josephine Briggs, Director of NCCAM. And I leave it to you, the doctors, to comment on the continuing education offered by your peers. They work hard to give you their best and enhance the care you provide to patients all over the country.  Click here to view and purchase photographs from this year's convention!

Honoring the past, while present in the moment, for the sake of generations to come – this is the heart of a naturopathic gathering with the force of the AANP Convention. Thank you to Dr. Jared Skowron and ITI for initiating our Legacy Program with the creating of a 22 minute video. It features our Past Presidents and Executive Directors, and it documents the history of the AANP’s 25 years with sincere reflection and humor.

Special recognition to our 2010 Awardees!

NDNR, Corporation of the Year, for giving voice to the entire naturopathic community in a publication known for excellence.

Dr. Susan DeLaney, recipient of The President’s Award, whose presence in her state work and her mentorship deeply reflects the principles of naturopathic medicine.

Dr. Steven Bailey, recipient of The VIS Award, our award created to honor the spirit of Dr. William Mitchell, for his work as teacher and his embodiment of The Vis Medicatrix Naturae.

Dr. Christine Girard, Physician of the Year, whose visionary work will continue to inspire for years to come, especially for the students to whom she dedicated her award.

The special moments at the convention are too numerous to document. But my special thanks to all our corporate partners who enable us to gather and support us throughout the year. Please know these companies hold your expertise and commitment to quality with the deepest respect. I offer my gratitude to The Foundations Project for their incredible timeline detailing naturopathic history. My thanks to those who took extra time to participate in the Naturopathic Coordinating Council Summit held prior to the start of the Convention. Thank you to the numerous volunteers who support the work of the AANP and all of the naturopathic agencies. For those of you who are unaware, meeting after meeting after meeting compete with continuing education every day of the convention. Our volunteers support the furtherance of our mission at the sacrifice of their individual needs.

We indeed face many challenges, and collectively we will boldly face them. The next 25 years offer much in the way of possibility. Let us step up to the challenges we face and recommit to this organization. The AANP is yours to own and cherish, so give it the support it needs to transform the world!

AANP President’s Annual Meeting Message 2010

By Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc
AANP President

The Oregon Convention Center.  Photo by Matthew Santoro, AANP Communications and Media Associate.

The following are my remarks from the 2010 AANP Annual Meeting in Portland, OR, on Wednesday, August 11, 2010.

On behalf of the AANP Board of Directors, I am honored to welcome you to Portland and the AANP’s 25th Anniversary convention and thank you for your dedication to the naturopathic profession.

The AANP is a member-driven organization. There are many people whose work comes together under the banner of the AANP. We are fortunate to have a dedicated executive director in Karen Howard whose love for this profession runs deep as well as her dedicated staff who gets things done. The AANP Board of Directors works on a daily basis to understand the forces impacting our profession and develop strategies to be proactive and grow the legitimacy of naturopathic medicine. Everything the board does is filtered through the question: How does this benefit our membership? This House of Delegates comes together on an annual basis to amend our bylaws; adopt official Code of Ethics, definitions, standards, and position papers; hear reports from AANP officers and leadership; advise or recommend action to the Board of Directors by means of house resolutions; represent our constituents and communicate to them AANP information and actions; and provide leadership and participate as members in committees and taskforces. And you, our members, contribute in so many ways, from your volunteer work on both the state and national levels, educating the public and patients about naturopathic medicine, and, most importantly, providing your patients with the best care naturopathic medicine has to offer.

The Board of Directors has just completed two days of meetings where we took time to improve our internal communications, get updated on the business and challenges facing the association, and discuss our strategic vision to inform the 2011-2012 workplan. Some of the key areas of board interest include promotion of state licensing and increased scope of practice, sustaining and expanding our presence on the federal level, fostering naturopathic outcome studies and scientific affairs, developing strategic coalitions with other groups and associations, and developing programs and strategies to improve the success of our ND graduates.

Inherently Political: Student Leadership and Legislative Success

By Carrie Runde, 2011 ND Candidate
AANP Student Representive for Bastyr University

Drs. Jamey Wallace and Jane Guiltinan (center) with the entire student
contingent from Bastyr University at the 2010 DC FLI.
Photo by Clark Porter.

This May marked my 3^rd year attending the AANP’s DC Federal Legislative Initiative (DC FLI), and I am excited to report that this year’s event was the best by far. I was proud to lead the group of 34 Bastyr ND students, from all years in the program, to Washington, D.C. Our crew had been tirelessly fundraising since last fall, generating over $15,000 to offset the travel and accommodation costs associated with the trip. I am incredibly impressed by the effort all members of the group contributed to our cause. Despite the distance from Seattle and the trip’s proximity to midterm exams, I heard only positive feedback from the Bastyr students who attended. Everyone was so glad to have made the trip, as it was a truly unbelievable learning experience.

When talking to students about participating in the DC FLI, I commonly hear claims that they are uninterested in, or overwhelmed by, general politics. My response to that is simple: the FLI teaches us about specific legislation and political issues pertinent to naturopathic medicine. Once they learn about the politics that directly affect them as students (such as loan repayment programs), as future physicians (like state licensure and scope of practice), and their patients (such as access to supplements), students become interested in the political work of the AANP and our home state affiliates. The first two days of training sessions ignited the students with a curiosity that translated into very effective lobbying on the third day of the DC FLI.

One thing that resounds clearly at each DC FLI is that students have a powerful voice in the legislative process and the future policies of naturopathic medicine. The passion, intelligence, and perspective that we bring to conversations on health care are true mediators for change. The work that we have done in the past is paying off. As AANP President Dr. Carl Hangee-Bauer pointed out in a previous post, this year’s FLI was remarkable because healthcare staffers on Capitol Hill now know the AANP. We spent less time educating them about naturopathic medicine, and more time discussing how we can best be utilized in our nation’s healthcare system. I have specifically experienced this over the last three years in meetings with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry’s health care staffer, who is encouraged by visits from a positive group of people so dedicated to health and wellness.

The student presence at the FLI is, in my slightly biased estimation, the most important. This year, 100 of the 171 participants were ND students representing four U.S. naturopathic schools! We need to continue to increase our numbers at the event each year. The FLI has a greater political impact because students represent many home states, thus allowing us to deliver our message to as many representatives as possible. The FLI helps students as well. It allows us get outside of our medical school bubbles and into the real environment in which we will someday practice our medicine. Despite the challenges associated with missing class and clinic rotations, the FLI gives a new perspective on naturopathic medicine and recharges students when they return to the daily grind of medical school. The FLI also acts as a catalyst for involvement with the AANP, setting students up to be leaders at our respective schools and to become involved in state legislative work early in their careers.

The work that the AANP does for our profession is invaluable, and my personal goal is to increase student involvement in the organization. The more students that have the opportunity to attend the DC FLI and get involved with the AANP, the stronger the AANP will be in the future. The success of our professional organization has a huge impact on our future as naturopathic physicians, and students are a vital part of the equation. I hope that political work, like that done at the DC FLI, will become part of the naturopathic curricula at all schools because, as Dr. Bastyr was known to say, being a naturopathic physician is inherently political. Each year the FLI leaves me with the oft-quoted Margaret Mead adage in my head: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

Carrie is a 3^rd year ND student at Bastyr University and is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Carrie is the Bastyr student representative to the AANP and can be contacted at AANPrep@bastyr.edu.

Naturopathic Leaders and Leadership

By Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc
AANP President

Photo by Tim Green aka atouch via Flickr, used under the Creative Commons License.

Earlier this month, I attended three meetings in three days in Portland, Oregon. The first was our AANP Board meeting, bringing together 13 Board members elected by the membership to represent their interests and guide the direction of the association. The second day was a meeting of the Naturopathic Coordinating Council (NCC), a diverse group representing the AANP, the schools and colleges, the CNME, NABNE, and other established and recognized organizations representing the naturopathic profession in North America who collaborate in planning and coordinating action toward a vibrant and successful naturopathic profession. The third day was a meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) where representatives from the seven naturopathic medical schools met to discuss topics of mutual interest and promote successful programs and improve student education.

As I sat in these 3 days of meetings, it struck me that, by and large, I was spending time with most of the current leaders of the naturopathic profession, a relatively small group of people who through their hard work and dedication, are advancing naturopathic medicine and in their small ways, changing the world.

It is currently estimated that there are about 6000 licensed NDs in the United States and Canada. My guess is there are around 100 people who are in key leadership roles. Some are employed by various organizations to do their work (the schools and colleges come to mind), but many are volunteers who are members of Boards or officers in their state associations. What all have in common is a vision of where naturopathic medicine can go and what it can do to improve the health of the public and influence the course of health care policies that affect us all.

It’s a funny thing. I think that when most of us became students of naturopathic medicine, we were focused on our studies, learning about how this medicine can benefit our patients as we go out into the world and establish our practices. Little did we know how important it would be to get involved in politics, both at state and federal levels, to expand access to naturopathic care, assure scopes of practice to reflect our training and education, and to dispel much of the ignorance and misperceptions around the naturopathic profession.

While on vacation last month, I ran into a ND at the Kona Farmers Market. We chatted a bit, and I found out she had become involved in the Hawaii association during its recent successful effort to update the scope of practice for Hawaii NDs. She mentioned that she had not planned to get involved in these political doings, but that she felt she had to because of the effects on her practice and her abilities to be of benefit to her patients. I think many of us can relate to her experience. Whether we expected it or not, many of us have found that to do our work well, we must become involved in big picture thinking and join with others in cultivating and growing the profession.

As I write this, the AANP has sent out its call for nominations for the 2010 elections. This year, we will be choosing a new President-Elect for the 2012-2013 term as well as 5 new board members. The AANP is a member-driven association; candidates are nominated by the membership and elected by a majority of the members votes. Your participation in this process is vital to the direction and future of the AANP.

This election promises to be an exciting one. I know of some candidates who plan to run and am impressed by the experience and professionalism they bring to the ballot. It is very likely this years elections will be competitive, with more candidates running than there are available positions. This means choices for AANP members to influence the direction and goals of the association.

My charge to you is simple: Get Involved! Vote! Read the candidates statements and decide who best speaks for you and your concerns and desires. For those of you with leadership experience and interest, consider running for a Board position.

With your voice and your vote, you have the power to grow and guide the naturopathic profession as it gains its rightful place in the healthcare system.