ASNY Transformations Fall 2020 |
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What We Can Always Count On: Change
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2020 has been a challenge for all members of the ASNY team, as we know it has been for everyone. The changes that we've had to implement in order to practice are evolving and we hope that as people are getting back to work and school, we can help with the process with a flow of information.
ASNY continues to work through BaseCamp and highly encourages everyone to join us there.
We have spent the summer months fielding pandemic questions that have to do with resources, reopening guidelines and schedules, and advocacy. As we move into the Fall, ASNY will be implementing a NEW WEBSITE PLATFORM. This platform was created by the American Society of Acupuncturists to build a bridge between the national organization and its state association members. One thing that will be unique to ASNY is that we are also implementing a virtual mall and call center in order to meet our members needs.
ASNY will close out 2020 with it's annual meeting, which will be completely virtual this year. We have new board candidates that include a student member moving forward! We will be sending election information out and hold six weeks of voting, as we did last year. While we would love the chance to meet in person, we need to keep the safety of our members and their patients and families at heart.
Wishing all of you a smooth transition into Fall!!
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ASNY TRANSITIONING TO NEW WEB PLATFORM |
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NEW PLATFORM WILL OFFER VIRTUAL MALL & CALL CENTER |
ASNY will be undergoing a massive transformation in the coming months to update its website. As we transfer the data, in order to protect you, we will lose all transactional data. EVERY ASNY MEMBER, regardless of whether you pay manually, or automatically annually or monthly MUST LOG IN TO RE-ENTER THEIR TRANSACTIONAL INFORMATION.
While this is somewhat daunting, the American Society of Acupuncturists representatives, our ASNY Regional Representatives, and volunteers are standing by to help. We will be reaching out to all ASNY Members who have not logged in to the new website after the data transfer. We will do this by email, text and phone.
The greatest news is once logged in, we will have a new virtual mall and a brand new Call Center that will reach out to all ASNY Members to see if there is anything we can help you with in your business! STAY TUNED!!!
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ASNY ANNUAL MEETING
VIRTUAL GATHERING ONLY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 5:30 to 7:30PM
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Due to Covid-19 safety concerns, the Acupuncture Society of New York will hold its 2020 completely online. |
In 2019, ASNY held a dual presentation for their annual event thanks to Pacific College of Health Sciences generous donation of space and the ability to stream our conference to our members who attended through Zoom.
While we wish we could hold an event in person, as we are all hoping we can do soon, it is best to keep our members and their families, patients and communities safe by holding this event online.
Much like its members, ASNY has had a very unique pandemic experience that has resulted in an increase in new members, work products produced and committee population. We have new board members and officers joining the board and a multitude of projects that we are all working on together.
Upon registration, you will receive further instructions for how to join the meeting.
All ASNY Members will be receiving electronic ballots as well as a series of surveys in the coming weeks. We hope that you will take the time to answer them and help us improve our services. Please take the time to vote for officers and board members, as well as any bylaw changes from November 5 through December 9, 2020.
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ASNY will hold elections for new board members and officers in the same style that we held elections in 2019. Be on the lookout for member surveys and an online ballot from Election Runner. ASNY Members will have from November 5, 2020 until December 9th, 2020 at 9pm to cast your ballots. As we will be setting the agenda 2021 at the Annual Meeting, we will be surveying our members to find out what is most important to them. ASNY is continuing to expand it's board based on those who represent the ten regions of New York State. We also added a position for student representation and look forward to working with the wonderful people who have already added so much to ASNY through committee work. |
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Vice President Michel Solounias Stepping Down from Role |
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Vice President Michel Solounias. Most of the ASNY Membership has dealt directly with Michel during his TEN year tenure with ASNY. He has held the role of Treasurer and managed continuing education classes for ASNY before being elected as Vice President in 2019. We wish Michel the absolute best in this world and thank him immensely for his service! Dr. Peter Caron, the current Chair of the ASNY Membership Committee and architect of ASNY Regional Representatives, ASNY Podcasts and ASNY Student Representatives is being trained by Michel to cover his duties. He will be up for election for the Vice President position in December. |
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Katherine Mackenzie, MS, L.Ac. |
Katherine MacKenzie, MS, LAc, is a 2009 graduate of Tri-State College of Acupuncture, where she studied Trigger Point Therapy with Mark Seem, Japanese Acupuncture with Kiiko Matsumoto, and Japanese Herbology with Nigel Dawes. Prior to attending Tri-State she began her Masters Degree at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine which she attended for 4 semesters, studying the basics of Chinese medicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbology. Prior to this she was an English Lit major at the University of South Carolina and was a creative writer and poet. She also had a career in Hedge Funds/Managed Futures on Wall Street for 7 years complete with having passed the stockbroker exam. After acupuncture school she worked in NYC at multi-disciplinary pain clinics. In 2011 she moved to upstate NY’s capital district and the sweet outdoorsy town of Glens Falls to create her own vision of an acupuncture clinic. These days she runs Acupuncture Nirvana, a multi-practitioner clinic and an herb shop. She is a member of the American Herbalist Guild and is currently in a 2-year herbal program with David Winston, after which she plans to apply to be a Registered Herbalist (RH). She is also a member of the Acupuncture Association of NY State (ASNY) and has been an active member, participating in the Opioid taskforce, acting as a co-writer in the Pandemic Plan for NY state, and is the ASNY Regional Representative for the following regions: Capital District, North Region, Mohawk Valley and Central New York. She believes strongly that small changes over time can add up to a big difference and is interested both in advocating for acupuncturists and in helping other acupuncturists succeed.
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Kimberly Creaven, D.Ac., L.Ac |
Dr. Kim Creaven is a licensed and nationally board-certified acupuncturist. She earned her Doctorate in Acupuncture from Pacific College of Health Sciences, a MS in Health Science and Acupuncture from The New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mineola, NY. and received her Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University in NYC.
Kim has worked in the healthcare field for over 25 years and has been successfully practicing Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, servicing the Long Island, NY community that she so proudly calls home. She feels her years of experience and knowledge in the field allows her to bring something special to all of her treatments. Kim specializes in pain management, stress management and Tui Na therapeutic massage. She also incorporates Cupping, Gua Sha and EFT modalities into her acupuncture treatment protocols. Kim is also a certified practitioner of Facial Rejuvenation and Facial Gua Sha.
Dr. Creaven is dedicated to helping her patients and her community. She is an active member of her state association, ASNY, where she volunteers her time servicing on committees with regards to Advocacy, Communication and Membership. Within the Membership Committee, she is the Regional Representative for Long Island. When not at the office treating her patients, she can be found in her community where she donates her time and services to the local military population. She is committed to helping her patients on their road to recovery and wellness.
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Renee Nearpass MSAOM, LA.c., Dipl.OM., Ed.M. is a licensed acupuncturist in the State of New York and holds a Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSAOM) from the New York Chiropractic College, Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seneca Falls, NY as well as a Masters degree in Education from the University at Buffalo. Renee is a member of the Phi Chi Omega honor society and studied abroad at the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hangzhou, China. Her training encompasses acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na, Qi gong and eastern dietary therapy. Her well rounded experience includes providing care for various pain conditions, digestive and respiratory disorders, women's health, pediatrics, and cosmetic acupuncture. She has worked in various settings including the Veteran's Affairs Hospital in Canandaigua, New York and continues to serve local veterans through the VA community care program.
As the owner of Perinton Family Acupuncture in Rochester, NY she has dedicated time in educating her community about pediatric acupuncture. Her interest includes research on the benefits of acupressure and acupuncture for pediatric patients and has co-authored a recently published systematic review discussing the positive affects of acupoint stimulation for post-operative nausea and vomiting in children.
Renee serves on the ASNY Membership Committee and is the Regional Representative for the following regions: Finger Lakes, Western Region and Southern Tier.
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Zakiya Cush is future holistic dermatologist, who is happy to pursue her studies in Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine at the Pacific College of Health & Sciences. She looks forward to giving back to the community and going into private practice upon graduation. Zakiya has an extensive biomedical dermatology background, and aims to combine both eastern and western medicine in her holistic dermatology practice. She is passionate about public health disparities, especially in medicine and in the field of dermatology. And her study on “The Upper East Side vs Central Harlem: What is responsible for the Dermatology Disparities that shaped these Communities?” was recently published by her school New York Medical College, where she is also obtaining her MPH degree. Zakiya plays an active role with the ASNY Communications Committee and Social Media Team. She is ASNY's first Student Board Representative.
In her free time she enjoys a daily yoga practice, which has helped with strengthening her immune system and providing a general sense of wellness, which is much needed in the time of COVID-19.
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ASNY COMMITTEES IN ACTION |
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Dr. Timur Lokshin, DACM, Chair
Dr. Anna Panettiere, DACM, Vice Chair
Second Tuesday of Each Month
1:00PM EST
Subcommittees: Insurance, Federal, Opioids
Projects: BCBS, No-Fault White Paper
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Insurance Subcommittee:
CMS Comments for Acupuncture Code RVUs
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Formal Comments from
American Society of Acupuncturists
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ASNY Formal Comments to CMS |
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INSURANCE SUBCOMMITTEE:
NO-FAULT ADOPTED WC FEE SCHEDULE
OCT 1, 2020
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Department of Financial Services Amends Fee Schedules to Reflect Workers Compensation Schedules |
NY DFS has implemented an amendment to reflect the fee schedules put forth by the NYS Workers Compensation Board. This legislative effort was to allow for no-fault insurers to have time to study the cost to them and reduce mitigation and fee arbitration in the courts once the fee schedules were in place. It reads:
§ 68.1 Adoption of certain workers' compensation schedules
(a)(2)(i) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subdivision, and except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the amendments to the fee schedules set forth in Parts 329, 333, 343, and 348 of Title 12 NYCRR that were promulgated by the chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board on December 11, 2018, and the amendments to the fee schedules set forth in Parts 329, 333, and 348 of Title 12 NYCRR that were adopted by the chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board on November 19, 2019, shall take effect for purposes of Insurance Law section 5108 on October 1, 2020, and shall only apply to all charges for health services performed on or after October 1, 2020.
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ASNY Members are working on a White Paper to show the NY Department of Financial Services the economic impact of their regulatory action. We have heard stories of members losing their jobs in No-Fault clinics because of the 12-RVU Daily Limit/Accident/Patient ACROSS modalities. We have heard from Acupuncturists who are clinic owners and have had to let go of staff because the fee schedule is not sustainable for business operations. ASNY invites you to help by taking the following survey to help compile data for the white paper. This is only for people who operate(d) in either the Workers Compensation system or treated No Fault patients. It is only eleven (11) questions long and shouldn't take more than six (6) minutes. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AN ASNY MEMBER TO TAKE THE SURVEY.
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Dr. Viktor Krystufek, DACM Chair
Mona Yuan, MS, L.Ac, PT ,Vice Chair
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1st Monday of Every Month
9:00PM EST
Subcommittees: Newsletter, Public Education, Social Media
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ASNY is now on Twitter under the username: @AcuSocietyNY. Twitter is where the majority of New York's legislators are, therefore it will be the social media platform most used for grassroots campaigns.
- If you have not, create a Twitter account.
- Personalize your account with a professional profile picture.
- Your bio should be concise and interesting, and include your credentials, and location.
- Encourage your patients to get on Twitter and follow you too!
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ASNY is now on Instagram under the username: @AcuSocietyNewYork. Instagram is a great visual platform.You can use it to market your brand, to connect with patients, and to support each other in this profession. Instagram will also be used to create public education campaigns.
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ASNY SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN ASNY SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM |
Calling all Acupuncturists and Acupuncture Students: ASNY is looking for creative members of the industry to join the ASNY Social Media Team. This team is responsible for all social media content and the ASNY Newsletter & Reviews. We are ESPECIALLY interested in working with Acupuncture Students in an effort to both provide their perspective AND give them insight into the industry. If interested, please join us at BaseCamp!!
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Dr. Timur Lokshin, DACM, Chair
Peter Caron, M.AC Vice Chair
3nd Thursday of Every Month
1:00PM EST
The Governance Committee has been working to finish the ASNY Social Media Policy that will govern posting etiquette on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The ASNY Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual is also nearing completion with governing documents for all committees included.
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Peter Caron, M.AC Chair
Dr. Carl Castillo, DACM, Vice Chair
4th Monday of Every Month
1:00PM EST
REGIONAL Meetings
being established
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:
Our community functions best when it communicates. Each region of New York State has an ASNY representative. These representatives will be volunteers from each
community. They will be tasked with connecting and building their community. They will also be soliciting their local community for feedback, which will then be brought the the board of directors.
NYC REGION:
The Board of Directors has 4 members representing the New York City Region: President Viktor Krystufek, Upcoming Vice President Peter Caron, Secretary Anna Panetierre and Claire Alatan, Board Member-At-Large.
NYC BURROW REPRESENTATIVES:
Because of the number of ASNY Members making up the New York City Region, ASNY is interested in expanding the region's representation to one in each burrow. If interested, please contact Membership Chair Peter Caron for details.
LONG ISLAND REGION:
Designated Regional Rep and Upcoming Board Member Kim Creaven.
Board Members who serve the Long Island Region: Treasurer Timur Lokshin, Carl Castillo, Mona Yuan
Captal Region, North Region, Mohawk Valley & Central New York Region:
Upcoming Board Member Katherine Mackenzie
Finger Lakes, Western Region, and Southern Tier Regions:
Upcoming Board Member Renee Nearpass
Mid-Hudson Region:
OPEN: If Interested, please contact Membership Chair Peter Caron for details.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES:
ASNY is adding their first voting Student Board Member and is hoping to add Student Representatives from each New York school to the team at the Membership Committee. If interested, please contact Membership Chair Peter Caron for details.
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Just like everyone during this time, ASNY is continuing to undergo big changes and is finding new and creative ways of being. The implementations we will be making in the next few months are designed to create better communication with its members and make sure we are representing ASNY MEMBER'S needs.
We will be reaching out directly during this website platform transition and our Regional Representatives are going to be checking in with you personally.
Dr. Kallie Byrd Guimond, D.OM
President, Health Policy Advocacy Institute
ASNY Consultant
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