Policy Working Group Print E-mail

The purpose of the Policy Working Group (PWG) is to educate national leaders, organizations and agencies on the shared values, priorities, recommendations and contributions to bettering healthcare of ACCAHC member organizations. The PWG will coordinate with the Board, Executive Committee and appropriate working group leaders to create consensus statements or white papers, to host focused, multidisciplinary gatherings on significant policy issues and to respond to emerging events as is appropriate in the context of PWG's mission. The PWG seeks to influence the national healthcare agenda through statements which represent the combined voice of the ACCAHC member organizations.

Examples of ACCAHC policy-related activities include:

  • Defining Integrative Medicine (2005)   ACCAHC worked with the leadership of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine to change their definition of "integrative medicine" to specify the importance of integrating not only "therapeutic approaches" but also "healthcare professionals and disciplines."
  • Institute of Medicine Summit (2008-2009)  On learning of the Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public announced by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and sponsored by the Bravewell Collaborative, ACCAHC contacted the IOM to explore a role in the planning of the February 25-27, 2009 conference. ACCAHC board chair Elizabeth Goldblatt, PhD, MPA/HA was selected by the IOM to serve on the planning committee. ACCAHC staff supported Goldblatt's extensive volunteer work. Over 30 leaders affiliated with ACCAHC and its member organizations participated in the Summit, with a half-dozen in leadership roles, contributing to what the IOM has called the most diverse gathering in IOM history.
  • NCCAM Strategic Plan (2009)  ACCAHC submitted a November 2009 letter to the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in response to NCCAM's invitation for stakeholder input on the 2011-2015 NCCAM strategic plan and is following up with NCCAM leadership.
  • ACCAHC Professions and the Future of Primary Care (2010 forward) ACCAHC is working with UCLA Professor Michael Goldstein, a senior research scientist with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, on a white paper and conference or workshop on the potential contributions of the licensed complementary healthcare professions in meeting the nation's need for primary care.

All ACCAHC policy initiatives must be approved by the ACCAHC board of directors and by ACCAHC's member organizations before the effort is engaged. Work products must be reviewed and approved as consensus statement prior to publication as ACCAHC positions.

Members

In development