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ASNY ALERT
We Are All In This Together
ASNY Responds to
Coronavirus Concerns:
#flattenthecurve
Dear Colleagues:

From the moment the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic , we knew life would not be the same for us as practitioners, our families, patients, neighbors and systems. We know that now, more than ever, it is imperative that people have access to the most accurate information. ASNY is devoted to keep that flow of information coming to you and encourage all of you to reach out to us when you feel something needs to be disseminated in any of our forums: be it our newsletter, website or social media sites.

Moreover, we will be scouring the available information for stories that help alleviate the fear and stress that come with a pandemic, whether it is health, economic, or societally-related. We recognize that as many of you are doing your part to #FlattenTheCurve , it means closing your businesses temporarily. While the states and federal government work to come up with relief packages, ASNY committees will be meeting online over the next few weeks to determine what we can do as an organization in these relief efforts, while also feeling the effects of social-distancing efforts.

From local and regional information regarding school and business closings , state emergency mandates to federal relief efforts , ASNY intends to continue to monitor and update our sites with the most relevant information during this time of global need.

We encourage all of you who have solutions to provide and want to participate in our efforts to join any of the committees below to be involved. Our face to face meetings, such as the 2020 Albany Day and the ASA 2 nd Annual Conference may be postponed for now, but our opportunities to brainstorm, create and implement new ways of being and new policies in the midst of something like this remain, thanks to technology.

Finally, our job at ASNY is to do everything we can for our members. We ask with all sincerity that you contact us to let us know what we can do for you in your time of need. What are you worried about most? How can we help now and in the future to meet our members needs? We look forward to creating new ways of connecting in the coming days.



Sincerely,

ASNY Board of Directors 
ACUPUNCTURE-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
New York Acupuncture Schools Postpone Graduations, Change Education Formats
ASNY heard from several schools that have shut down clinics and moved to online formats. Graduations have also been postponed until further notice. We also recognize that many New York residents may have been sent home while studying at schools out of state. We ask that any information you view as pertinent to keep a running information flow on, please let our communications committee know and we will do so. Please put "Acupuncture School Information" in the subject line.
Message from New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Due to coronavirus outbreak in New York State, school administration makes the following decisions:
Information from Pacific College of Health & Science:
Dear Pacific College Students:

If you only read one email this year entirely and carefully, please make it this one. It is important.
COVID-19 UPDATE NOTICE:

All IN-PERSON classes and clinics are TEMPORARY SUSPENDED with lectures shift to web-based learning in both Syosset and Time Square locations from 3/16/2020 (Monday) to 3/29/2020 (Sunday). 
 
All in-person classes and clinics in both school locations will resume on 3/30/2020 (Monday).
All office operations will continue as needed via phone, email, Google Meeting, or in-person with appointments at school location. 
All scheduled exams, clinic treatments, and practical portion of technique classes will be rearranged to after 3/30/2020 (Monday).

ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA SCHOOL EMAIL IMMEDIATELY SHOULD THERE BE ANY FURTHER UPDATES TO IN-PERSON CLASS SUSPENSIONS.
Acupuncture Suppliers & Vendors Deeply Affected by Coronavirus both in China & US
ASNY reached out to several vendors and welcome information on all suppliers to our industry. We will include that each of the companies we spoke to urge their clients to recognize that they have been affected on several fronts and urge patience at this time. They also ask that you hold their employees health as central in their decision-making at this time. We will continue to issue statements from industry suppliers as they come in.





Malpractice COVID-19 (Corona virus)
Crisis Management Update
To Our Valued Clients and Partners:
Please note, all of us are in unknown territory right now so it is your responsibility to stay on top of these updates as they occur. As the situation remains fluid, some of this data may change as time goes on.
The CDC is your most up to date source for information. A broader perspective would be the WHO. Other sites worth visiting for information are the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and Johns Hopkins.
A good reference on how to prepare your office for COVID-19 can be found at OSHA.
We also suggest you contact the local lab you work with and find out what kind of testing if any they are doing so you can refer your patients if they ask. Most National Labs will have a listing of where they are doing virology testing.
You may want to provide a link for an online Risk Screening questionnaire for your patients that call you concerned about symptoms. Google has created a limited one for California here.  We also found one in Alberta that may serve as a screening tool at least to give patients some direction here.
Also it is a good idea to contact your local Health Department. You can find out how to locate them here.
Here are some guidelines you may want to use in communication with your patients. We suggest you send your patients what your office policy will be if you remain open and what it will be if you have to close either voluntarily or involuntarily.
  • Determine if you plan to continue with regularly scheduled appointments.
  • Tell them how best to contact you while open and also how to contact you if you have to close.
  • Have a clear statement as to what symptomatology they need to be aware of that would warrant they contact another health professional or recommend one. Yes, you may want to treat every patient to boost their immune system, but an infected patient does not belong in your office right now.
  • temperature, or symptoms (body aches, fever, cough, shortness of breath) or feeling ill.
  • Have a similar policy for employees.
  • Determine based on your office and available staff the safe number of patients you can see in your office while still maintaining safe distancing. See WHO guide here.
  • Provide some basic strategies for them to adhere to without making recommendations on how to treat the virus unless you are qualified to do so. If supplementation is an area of expertise for you and it is approved by your state board you may want to add some recommendations to the list below. Below from Natural Terrain:
  1. Do your best not to live in fear or anxiety about the situation. Yes, it is a serious matter that requires our attention. However, it is important to note that when we get trapped in a fear response our immune systems shut down in favor of survival mechanisms, which actually further heighten our anxiety! Be wise and discerning about your lifestyle practices and choices, and trust you are doing what you can to keep yourself and your family safe.
  2. Fresh air is vital to healthy immunity - make a point of getting outside, daily. Even as little as 10 to 15 minutes three times throughout the day will benefit you.
  3. Rest! Get plenty of sleep and rest.
  4. Take some time off, perhaps use this time for a personal at-home retreat where you just enjoy some time spent away from work, extra-curricular activities and the hustle and bustle of life. Walks in nature, healthy dinners together with your family, board games, curling up with a good book and limiting your social contact are all enriching ways to protect yourself from community transmission.
  5. Increase your consumption of anti-oxidant and nutrient-dense infection-fighting foods like: organic blueberries, raspberries, spinach, sprouts, garlic, onions, ginger, parsley, cilantro, spirulina, celery juice, bone broth and fermented foods and beverages.
  6. Drink lots of water. Drinking good quality water and herbal teas, staying hydrated, is one of the best things you can do to flush out toxins from your body and help support the immune system.
  7. Keep your immune system strong by reducing your sugar intake and eating a balanced diet.  Avoid eating processed sugars. Sugar weakens the immune system and makes it less able to deal with viruses and bacteria. Be sure to read food labels carefully and to limit the amount of sugar you eat.
  • Use common sense.
We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions please email us at info@councilsupport.com.
Respectfully,
Marilyn Allen
Association Events Canceled As Travel Industry Continues to Be Affected
By Limits on Large Gatherings
While ASNY is highlighting those state and national association events, we realize there are many CEU providers that are also affected. If you have to cancel, postpone or are changing to an online format for your event, please reach out to our communications committee , with "Event Information" in the subject line.
It is with great regret, but with unanimous consent, that the board has decided to cancel the ASA conference coming up this May 2-4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. As the Coronavirus situation progresses, we understand this to be a pandemic that has not yet reached its full swell, and we expect that it will continue long enough that it is impossible to assure the safety of our participants as soon as May. It is our responsibility as a medical organization to support the efforts of public health authorities who have clearly advised against public gatherings, and to assure the best health of not only those who might attend, but also the patients and families to whom they would return.

We are currently working with our hotel contacts to negotiate this situation, and assure as best we can that the damages to the finances of the organization are minimized. We will be getting more information out about this shortly, and will reach out to you directly. Full refunds will be available.

We are so sorry for this change, but are in agreement with the long and growing list of similar meeting organizers that are taking the same path. Doing all we can do to help everyone stay safe and well is our top priority. Due to the volume of work and number of communications this rearrangement has required and will continue to require, please let us reach out to you directly if possible.
ASNY Postpones 2020 Albany Day
Until Further Notice
NY Gov Cuomo Asks Citizens to Honor Social Distancing
ASNY Advocacy Committee met Thursday, March 12th to discuss our next actions in the wake of coronavirus concerns. They voted to postpone Albany Day 2020 until the crisis has ended. Since then, NY Governor Cuomo has closed bars, restaurants, gyms and some schools in the state.

ASNY will be monitoring the situation to determine the most responsible time to gather to advocate for our profession at a later date.
New York State & Federal
Covid-19 Information
Practitioners Face Hard Decision:
To Continue Practice Or Not
ASNY is facing this question in our committees, in online forums and constantly within board discussions. Because we understand that this is one of the most difficult decisions most of our members will face in their lifetime, we will place information here that applies to all, no matter what the decision is. ASNY leadership does recommend that if continuing to practice, one should assume and treat all patients as if they have the virus and use Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Covid-19 by the CDC. The American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) has issued guidelines for COVID-19 specifically for Licensed Acupuncturists.

ASNY will continue to monitor the mandates and provide information as the situation unfolds. All information below is to inform decisions moving forward.
By Executive Order,
Governor Cuomo
Mandates To Businesses:
No More than 50% of
Workforce Can Leave Home
This mandate does not apply to ESSENTIAL SERVICES which include food, pharmacies, healthcare, shipping, supplies, etc.)

While L.Acs are not considered part of essential healthcare services currently, THERE IS CURRENTLY A CALL FOR RETIRED AND RELATED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS to help during this crisis. If you believe you qualify and want to help, please take this survey from the New York State Department of Health and get involved where you can!!
Why outbreaks like coronavirus
spread exponentially, and
how to “flatten the curve”
After  the first case of covid-19 , the disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus, was announced in the United States, reports of further infections trickled in slowly. Two months later, that trickle has turned into a steady current.

Johns Hopkins University
Coronavirus Resouce Center
When and why was this map started?
The map was first shared publicly on Jan. 22. It was developed to provide researchers, public health authorities, and the general public with a user-friendly tool to track the outbreak as it unfolds. All data collected and displayed are made freely available through a  GitHub repository , along with the feature layers of the dashboard, which are now included in the ESRI Living Atlas. 

What Healthcare Personnel Should Know about Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID-19 Infection
Healthcare personnel (HCP) are on the front lines of caring for patients with confirmed or possible infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and therefore have an increased risk of exposure to this virus. HCPs can minimize their risk of exposure when caring for confirmed or possible COVID-19 patients by following  Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings .

Healthcare personnel caring for patients with confirmed or possible COVID-19 should adhere to CDC recommendations for  infection prevention and control  (IPC):

  • Assess and triage these patients with acute respiratory symptoms and risk factors for COVID-19 to minimize chances of exposure, including placing a facemask on the patient and placing them in an examination room with the door closed.
  • Use Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions when caring for patients with confirmed or possible COVID-19.
  • Perform hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub before and after all patient contact, contact with potentially infectious material, and before putting on and upon removal of PPE, including gloves. Use soap and water if hands are visibly soiled.
  • Practice how to properly in a manner to prevent self-contamination.
  • Perform aerosol-generating procedures, in an AIIR, while following appropriate IPC practices, including use of appropriate PPE.

FTC, FDA Send Warning Letters to Seven Companies about Unsupported Claims that Products Can Treat or Prevent Coronavirus

Commission continues efforts to protect consumers from deceptive advertising
The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have sent warning letters to seven companies allegedly selling unapproved products that may violate federal law by making deceptive or scientifically unsupported claims about their ability to treat coronavirus (COVID-19). The warning letters are the first issued by the agencies alleging unapproved and/or unsupported claims that products can treat or prevent coronavirus.

The agencies sent the letters to the following companies: 1)  Vital Silver , 2)  Quinessence Aromatherapy Ltd. , 3)  N-ergetics , 4)  GuruNanda, LLC , 5)  Vivify Holistic Clinic , 6)  Herbal Amy LLC , and 7)  The Jim Bakker Show .

The recipients are companies that advertise products—including teas, essential oils, and colloidal silver—as able to treat or prevent coronavirus. According to the FDA, however, there are no approved vaccines, drugs, or investigational products currently available to treat or prevent the virus.

ASNY wants to remind all members of the profession to make note of the actions of the FTC and FDA. Please make sure that you are not making any written (or oral) promises of providing services or products that CURE anything, especially COVID-19. These acts will not only put your practice in jeopardy, but impact our industry as a whole. Again: WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER!
Process for Accessing SBA’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Lending

  • The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon a request received from a state’s or territory’s Governor, SBA will issue under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was recently signed by the President, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan declaration.
  • Any such Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance declaration issued by the SBA makes loans available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in designated areas of a state or territory to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
  • SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance will coordinate with the state’s or territory’s Governor to submit the request for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance.
  • Once a declaration is made for designated areas within a state, the information on the application process for Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance will be made available to all affected communities.
  • These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
  • SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.
  • SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are just one piece of the expanded focus of the federal government’s coordinated response, and the SBA is strongly committed to providing the most effective and customer-focused response possible.

For additional information, please contact the SBA disaster assistance customer service center. Call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or
The Trump administration is asking Congress for roughly $1 trillion in new economic relief as lawmakers begin work on the next phase of coronavirus relief efforts.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters that he worked with the president on the economic package. Their discussions included payments to small businesses, loan guarantees for industries like airlines and hotels, and a stimulus package for workers.

"We are looking at sending checks to Americans immediately," Mnuchin said at a press conference at the White House on Tuesday. "Americans need cash now, and the president wants to get cash now. And I mean now, in the next two weeks."
Mnuchin briefed Senate Republicans on the proposal Tuesday afternoon and has already spoken with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"This is a very unique situation in this economy. We've put a proposal on the table that would inject $1 trillion into the economy, that is on top of the $300 billion from the IRS deferrals. Now let me just this: This is a combination of loans, this is a combination of direct checks to individuals, this is a combination of creating liquidity for small businesses."

Republican Senators expressed widespread support for the concept of cash payments following the lunch with Mnuchin, but many critical details of how the money will be allocated and to whom still need to be addressed.

The Senate is preparing to vote first on a smaller relief bill that has already been approved in the House. That legislation includes paid sick and family leave for some workers, extended unemployment benefits and emergency funds for food security programs.

There had been some discussion to hold up the House measure to wait until the broader economic stimulus plan was crafted, but McConnell said that won't be the case. He suggested despite some unease among members of his party to approve the measure, it should be approved.

So far, no elected member of Congress has disclosed testing positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by novel coronavirus. However, at least two Republican senators — Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida — remain under self-quarantine after exposure to individuals who tested positive. And over recent days,  at least four lawmaker offices have disclosed coronavirus exposure .

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe contributed to this report
ASNY COMMITTEES IN ACTION
During a crisis, we become acutely aware of where we can help each other. In the coming weeks, ASNY will be looking to its committees to come up with solutions to expand our reach in health policy, enhance our member and public communications and create benefits for our members. We recognize that we are in a unique position to tap the talent of so many practitioners who arrived in this profession as a second career and hope that you guys can step in at a time of great public need. If you find yourself being affected by this crisis and want to help, please let us know.

ASNY is updating its systems to help streamline committee and volunteer activity. All events will be scheduled through a volunteer portal and can be checked there. If you have not already done so, please click on the button below to create an account at YourVolunteers.com:
COMMUNICATIONS
Chair: Viktor Krystufek
Monthly meetings:
`1st Monday of Every Month
9:00PM EST
Subcommittees: Newsletter, Public Education, Social Media
To participate, contact
FUNDRAISING
Chair: Michel Solounias
Meetings Coordinated
With Other Committees;
Announced Accordingly
To participate, contact
MEMBERSHIP
Chair: Carl Castillo
Monthly meetings
2nd Monday of Every Month
1:00PM EST
REGIONAL Meetings
being established
To participate, contact

ADVOCACY
Chair: Timur Lokshin
Monthly Meetings:
2st Thursday of Every Month
1:00PM EST
Subcommittees: Insurance, Federal,Opioids
To participate, contact



GOVERNANCE
Vice Chair: Timur Lokshin
Monthly Meetings:
3nd Thursday of Every Month
1:00PM EST
To participate, contact