Dr. Benjamin Chi-Kuo Yang, OMD, LAc, a graduate of National Taiwan University and former chair of the California Acupuncture Board, has been appointed to the California Industrial Medical Council (IMC).
"I am pleased to announce Dr. Yang's appointment to the Industrial Medical Council," said John Burton, the state Senate President Pro Tempore and chair of the Senate Rules Committee. "With his dedication to patient care, commitment to affordability and record of public service, Dr. Yang will make an excellent addition to the board."
The Industrial Medical Council is a semi-autonomous body which functions as the medical unit for the state's workers' compensation system. Among its duties, the IMC examines and appoints physicians to be qualified medical evaluators (QMEs); creates treatment guidelines for physicians to evaluate work-related injuries; and advises the department of workers' compensation on health care issues that affect physicians and other health providers.
Dr. Yang has been an active member of the acupuncture profession since opening a clinic in the San Francisco area in 1982. He currently serves as vice president of the American Institute of Acupuncture Orthopedics and Traumatology, and is the honorary president of the United California Practitioners of Chinese Medicine.
MIAHS Receives Approval to Offer Master's Degrees in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
The Minnesota Institute of Acupuncture and Herbal Studies (MIAHS) has been authorized to offer master's level diplomas in the fields of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. MIAHS is the first (and only) educational institution in Minnesota which is allowed to offer master's degrees in these areas.
"Authority to grant master's degrees is another step in the maturation of professional acupuncture in Minnesota," said Dr. Ike Rodman, the institute's president. "It is something that will improve the careers of our students."
The school's acupuncture and Oriental medicine programs were originally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) in March 1999. After being accredited by the commission, the programs were reviewed by the state's Office of Higher Education Services, which gave its approval this past December.
According to Dr. Henry Kaynes, the university's director of admissions, the school has already received more than 500 inquiries from students interested in enrolling in the new programs. "We have been pleased with the response to these programs, both in Minnesota and nationally," said Dr. Kaynes.
Emperor's College to Study Acupuncture and Herbs for Menopause
Menopause is a natural event in a woman's life that signals the end of her childbearing years. The condition results from a woman's ovaries being depleted of their supply of eggs, leading to a decrease in the production of sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Fluctuations or decreases in the levels of hormones produced by aging ovaries can lead to a variety of short-term physical and emotional changes.
To diminish the effects of menopause, Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine is seeking volunteers for an ongoing study to examine the efficacy of acupuncture and herbs in treating the symptoms related to the condition.
"Many women are seeking an alternative to hormones but don't want to risk suffering with menopausal symptoms," explained Yi Qiao, LAc, director of the college's clinic. "Traditional Chinese medicine has many ways of treating these symptoms using certain acupuncture points and herbal formulas."
The study will include women who have been diagnosed with menopause for one year by a medical doctor; have not received any hormone therapy treatments for at least three months; and are experiencing menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, palpitations, dryness, irritability and memory loss.
Qualifying participants will receive 15 weeks of treatment (one treatment per week) at the college's clinic. After each treatment, patients will be asked to fill out a survey regarding any change in their symptoms.
To participate in the study, or to get more information, please contact Emperor's College at 310-453-8383.
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