The ATCMA annual general meeting of this year was successfully held on 8 August 2016. The association has been found for 2 years after the first transition of Governing Board. The meeting underlined the following agenda:

  1. The first president of ATCMA Dr. Fei Che summarized the overall works accomplished during the biennium. Considering the current challenges to traditional Chinese medicine in British Columbia, ATCMA councils recognized the importance of self-strengthening and uniting with other traditional Chinese Medicine associations. ATCMA, therefore, has established alliance with traditional Chinese Medicine Associations from overseas to promote social states of our associations.

After collaboration and consultation with the responsible committees, ATCMA has responded to the concern about the College of Physical Therapists of BC inclusion of acupuncture and dry needling into their scope of practice, to CTCMA, Ministry of Health of B.C. and the related departments.

Meanwhile, ATCMA has been maintaining close and active relations with CTCMA、Ministry of Health of BC、ICBC、John Ross Insurance and various departments in order to achieve a better working environment for our members. Our representatives have carried out two rounds of meetings with ICBC, and are prepared for the third one. The Board had been proactively seeking lawyers and insurance firms to offer legal assistance securing our members. In order to commit to this, the Board had agreed to set up a member’s protection committee to facilitate future works.

In addition, in order to allow people to understand and be benefit from TCM and acupuncture, the Board has made an agreement with the federal government and Ministry of Health of BC to list our members’ names and titles onto other provinces registry files in BC. On the other hand, to comply with protecting the public and the profession, the Board has already come to an agreement with CTCMA where they will assist us in striking down unlicensed practitioners.

Moreover, to benefit our valued members, the Board has also been trying their best to satisfy different needs by our member’s scope of practice by offering different variety of continuing education seminars in both Chinese and English and has been constantly updating the association’s website with seminar videos, news and events and many more in order to reach out to those who weren’t able to attend the seminars and still has the opportunity to enhance their skills in their practices.  Furthermore, our governors and other associations has sincerely invited Zhejiang Chinese Medical University to collaborate with Kwantlen University to offer acupuncture diploma courses and has requested the government to regulate and be sure that the diploma will include traditional Chinese medicine courses within the acupuncture curriculum. The ATCMA has offered a certain amount of donations and support to political parties’ elections in order to gain a social recognition to the TCM and acupuncture professions.

  1. Our chair of financial committee, Ms. Gao Yao Hua has reported our financial report of 2015. In 2015, our bank ending balance was $101,797.83. And for January to July 2016, our bank ending balance was $110,376.88.
  1. John Ross insurance company presented some insurance policies to our members.
  1. Throughout the meeting, Wei Dong Yu, Dr. TCM and Tony Zhuo, Dr. TCM has presented a seminar of “Meridian acupuncture treatment of insomnia” and “Treatment of learning or Live by the rule” and Richard Lee shared his Health Care Vision respectively.
  1. Election for new board members (The election was done under the supervision of George Bryce)

The 23 nominees were: Jun Bao (R. Ac), Lai nar Chen (R. Ac), Bao Qi Cao (Dr. TCM), Tie Jun Cao (R. TCM. P.), Fei Che (Dr. TCM), Chih-Min Chen (R. TCM. P.), Kuo Hsiang Chu (R. Ac.), Ya Dong Du (R. TCM. P.), Ho-Cheung Fong (R. Ac), William Hardman (Dr. TCM), Mimi Hu (R. Ac), Min Lee (R. TCM. P.), Bao Di Liu (R.TCM. P.), Jia Kevin Lu (R. TCM. P.), Yan Bin Ma (Dr. TCM), Courtney Morris (R. Ac.), Yan Qu (Dr. TCM), Joseph Ranallo (R. Ac.), Andrew Rodrick Taylor (Dr. TCM), Jason Tutt (R. Ac.), Ruining Wong (R. TCM. P.), John Yang (Dr. TCM), and Wei Dong Yu (Dr. TCM).

After a round of anonymous ballots, we have received 91 valid votes and have elected the following individuals to become part of the new board:

Jun Bao, Bao Qi Cao, Tie Jun Cao, Fei Che, Mimi Hu, Bao Di Liu, Jia Kevin Lu, Yan Bin Ma, Yan Qu, Joseph Ranallo, Andrew Rodrick Taylor, Jason Tutt, Ruining Wong, John Yang and Wei Dong Yu.

During the first board meeting, the new board has voted and agreed to have Fei Che to continue serve as the president of ATCMA.

Fei Che has appointed the elected individual to their positions and has been approved by the board. The assigned positions are as follows:

President: Fei Che

Vice President: 1. John Yang 2. Jia Kevin Lu

Secretary: Jia Kevin Lu

Secretary assistant: Jason Tutt, Tie Jun Cao, Mimi Hu

Membership Committee:

Chair: Ruining Wong

Vice Chair: Bao Di Liu, Andrew Taylor, Mimi Hu

Interior Chapter Chair: Jun Bao

Governance Committee:

Chair: Jia Kevin Lu

Vice Chair: Andrew Taylor, Jason Tutt, Joseph Ranallo, Bao Di Liu

Public Relation Committee:

Chair: Joseph Ranallo

Vice Chair: Andrew Taylor, Jason Tutt

Continuing Education Committee:

Chair: John Yang

Vice Chair: Yan Qu, Yan Bin Ma, Jason Tutt

Financial Committee:

Chair: Yan Qu

Member’s Protection Committee:

Chair: Jason Tutt

Vice Chair: Ruining Wong, Jun Bao, Joseph Rallano, Yan Qu

Website Committee:

Chair: Yan Qu,

Vice Chair: Tie Jun Cao, Andrew Taylor, Jun Bao

Member at Large: Bao Qi Cao

Executive Committee: Fei Che, John Yang, Jia Kevin Lu, Jason Tutt, Bao Qi Cao, Yan Qu, Jun Bao

Specialist Committee: Wei Dong Yu, Bao Qi Cao