By Erika Schultz, Graduate Intern at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine

• Americans spend $8,000 per capita on healthcare in comparison to $3,000 per capita in other developed countries and has some of the worst health outcomes.
• Insurance rates have increased at such a rate since 1945 that if the same inflation were applied a dozen eggs cost would now cost $55 and a gallon milk $48
• The United States is listed as #50 on the list of countries with greatest life expectancy.

These are just a few of the powerful facts and anecdotes sprinkled throughout the film “Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare” – a documentary full of interviews with those who are leading the way to a more integrative approach to medical care. The film features Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Don Berwick, and Dr. Dean Ornish to name a few. In addition, we hear from primary care physicians on the front-lines of treating patients who are completely overwhelmed by a system designed to reward them for procedures instead of outcomes. Read more

By Rachel Brumberger, President, AAAOM Student Organization

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeannie Kang, LAc, president emeritus of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM), for an exclusive update on her experience at the American Presidential Experience in early September. Kang and other AAAOM representatives exhibited at the nonpartisan, interactive show of the American presidency that took place during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The story begins with a telephone call that took place between Kang and C. Daerr Reid, LAc, a representative with Acupuncture Advocates, an affiliated political action committee of the North Carolina Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCAAOM). Dry needling, a controversial topic in the AOM community, was the focus of the discussion. Kang had received an article about a football player treated with acupuncture by a physical therapist practicing dry needling in North Carolina. Wondering what the AOM community could do to appropriately respond to the article, Kang sought Reid for support. Read more

By Megan Berg, Admissions Counselor at Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine

If you were interested in seeing an acupuncturist in California before 1976, it would have proved to be a challenge. At the time acupuncture was unregulated and considered an illegal medical practice. It was only 36 years ago that then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill legalizing acupuncture in the state.

Jacques MoraMarco, academic dean to the master’s program at Emperor’s College, was one of the very first practitioners to take the licensing exam in California. Over the past four decades, MoraMarco has seen the incredible changes in accessibility and acceptance of the medicine. Although acupuncture has gained legality and credibility over time, new legislation is hoping to create even more extensive access for Californians. Read more

We first learned about the documentary Escape Fire when someone mentioned it on Twitter and were immediately intrigued by the topic. Our curiosity caused us to dig deeper to find out who the filmmakers are and what had motivated them to tackle such a huge and controversial topic as American healthcare.

Matthew Heineman and Susan Froemke, the directors of Escape Fire, put it this way: “We hope our film can help catalyze a paradigm shift in how our country views health and healing.”

The film’s full title is Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, and Heineman and Froemke wanted to address one of the most pressing issues in the US at this time: how can we save our badly broken healthcare system? According to the filmmakers, the film examines the powerful forces maintaining the status quo, a medical industry designed for quick fixes rather than prevention, for profit-driven care rather than patient-driven care. Read more