The Future of Naturopathic Medicine. Introduction
Throughout 2010, the American Association of Naturopathic Physi¬cians (AANP) celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Looking forward in this New Year, one must wonder what future the US Congress is divining as it struggles to reform our current healthcare system. It is likely that the Senate and House of Representatives will successfully complete a conference on healthcare reform legislation and send President Obama a bill to sign into law. Will this bill be good for patients, or has compro¬mise forced decisions that will do little to effect change?
If you have a glass half-full mentality, you understand that the virtue of patience can yield amazing opportunities. This can be the first step on the road to reform. Perhaps forcing millions more into a failing system will accomplish two things. First, people will not be at risk for losing life savings, they will no longer avoid going to the doctor for life-threatening conditions, nor will they be forced to rely on their local emergency room for healthcare. Second, in the matter of a few short years, the experts who continue to assert that our system is unsustain¬able might be proven correct. It is likely we will witness a collapse that will force legislators into implementing true change. Regardless, the public is demanding ownership of their health and a return to wellness. A final vote in the House and Senate is not likely to quell their voice, nor will it fulfill the objectives of the American Association of Naturo¬pathic Physicians (AANP).
The AANP’s vision is to transform the healthcare system from disease management to health promotion by incorporating the prin¬ciples of naturopathic medicine. The mission of the AANP is to serve our members by advancing the profession of naturopathic medicine and preserving its integrity. The question of how the AANP shows up in the world, with our long-term commitment to creating sustainable healthcare, lies at the heart of each naturopathic physician’s practice and the work of the association itself.
While the number of licensed naturopathic physicians continues to grow, the AANP is working to further empower our public policy efforts by developing strong collaborative relationships with like¬minded organizations representing practitioners, patients, products, and environmental interests. Our external partnerships are diverse in nature and universal in intent.
The power of the AANP’s relationships enables pursuit of a broader agenda, one more fitting to the naturopathic philosophy. Working with likeminded groups adds voice to a larger, less parochial agenda. By teaming with this larger audience, we seek to establish a voice in the larger reform effort and the reengineering of healthcare reform proposals to embody a wellness model. In partnership with the associations in the natural products realm, the AANP actively advocates for passage of food stamp legislation and other public health initiatives aimed at significantly impacting health status for at-risk populations. As a leader in the Coali¬tion for Patient Rights, whose membership of 35 organizations repre¬sents more than 3.3 million providers, the AANP is advancing a unified message to expand consumer choice and access to qualified providers.
Our purpose for engaging in partnership is to support the rights of consumers to access highly qualified practitioners of their choice. The AANP honors the credentials of each of our partners, and we are strong advocates for practitioners’ rights to practice to the full extent of their abilities, education, qualifications, and legal authority. Our commitment to establishing standards for naturopathic medi¬cine is evidenced by our work to gain licensure in all 50 states and our efforts to establish recognition at the federal level. This fall, the US Department of Labor released a new definition of “naturopathic physician” in its Occupational Information Network System (the replacement for the old Department of Labor Dictionary of Occu¬pational Titles). The 2009 Department of Labor custom report for naturopathic physicians now defines members of our profession as as people who:
“Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases using a system of prac¬tice that is based on the natural healing capacity of individuals. May use physiological, psychological or mechanical methods. May also use natural medicines, prescription or legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other natural remedies.
Sample job titles include Naturopathic Physician, Naturopathic Doctor, Physician, and Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.” (Occu-pational Information Network, 2009)