ATCMA Advocacy
July 2025 Updates from ATCMA, BCCA, RMTBC and BCND--Advancing Together: Cross Profession Partnerships in BC
On behalf of the British Columbia Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Practitioners (ATCMA), the BC Chiropractic Association (BCCA), the Registered Massage Therapists Association of BC (RMTBC), and BC Naturopathic Doctors (BCND), we are pleased to share our latest update on ongoing areas of collaboration.
ATCMA President Dr. Chris Vallee Message- Honouring a TCM Pioneer: Dr. Bill Hardman Retires After 30+ Years of Healing and Advocacy
Dr. William (Bill) Hardman, Dr. TCM, is retiring after over 34 years of dedicated service in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Throughout his career, he has been a compassionate healer, teacher, and strong advocate for the profession—playing a key role in unifying associations and helping establish the ATCMA. His contributions have left a lasting impact on both patients and the TCM community in BC. We thank Dr. Hardman for his legacy of leadership, advocacy, and care.
CCHPBC Bylaws Feedback on Sections 7 and 12
The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC), our regulatory college, put out for public review and feedback Sections 7 and 12 of our new proposed bylaws for Acupuncturists and TCM professionals, naturopaths, registered massage therapists, and chiropractors on June 23rd. We were given only until July 7 to review the important sections and provide feedback. You too can provide feedback this weekend or Monday.
Cross-country TCM Association Collaboration
As a result of the recent omission of acupuncture and TCM from the Compendium of Roles In Team-Based Primary Care (read about that here), ATCMA put out a call for a meeting between TCM associations across Canada. On Sunday June 29th, four associations of the five regulated provinces met to coordinate actions and make plans for our futures.
News about NNHPD "cost recovery" fees
On June 13, 2025, the ATCMA’s Executive Director, Dr. Melissa Carr, met with Stephen Norman, Executive Director of Health Canada’s Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD), to discuss pressing issues facing the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) community and broader natural health product (NHP) industry in Canada. The meeting offered insight into the evolving regulatory landscape, including the much-debated cost recovery program, changing government priorities, and labelling compliance extensions.
CCHPBC Bylaws Feedback on Sections 2, 3, and 4
The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC), our regulatory college, put out for public review and feedback Sections 2, 3, and 4 of our new proposed bylaws for Acupuncturists and TCM professionals, naturopaths, registered massage therapists, and chiropractors on June 2nd. We were given only until June 16 to review the important sections and provide feedback. You too can provide feedback this weekend or Monday.
ATCMA Response to Omission of TCM and Acupuncture in Important Canadian Health Workforce Document
Take action! ATCMA has been working behind the scenes, and communicating with other TCM and Acupuncture associations across Canada about the egregious omission of our profession in the recently (March 2025) released document, A Compendium of Roles In Team-Based Primary Care.
CCHPBC Bylaws Feedback on Sections 5 and 11
The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC), our regulatory college, put out for public review and feedback Sections 5 and 11 of our new proposed bylaws for Acupuncturists and TCM professionals, naturopaths, registered massage therapists, and chiropractors. We were given just 2 weeks to review the important sections and provide feedback, which was due on Friday May 30, 2025.
May 2025 Updates from ATCMA, BCCA, RMTBC and BCND
On behalf of the British Columbia Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners & Acupuncturists (ATCMA), the BC Chiropractic Association (BCCA), the Registered Massage Therapists Association of BC (RMTBC), and BC Naturopathic Doctors (BCND), we are pleased to share our latest update that highlights our joint work over the last few months.
ATCMA Spring 2025 Survey of TCM Professionals in BC
ATCMA is thrilled to say that we received 352 responses to our survey of TCM professionals across BC. We present here the results of the survey. Our plan is to use this information to help us determine our priorities when it comes to representing our members and advocating for TCM across the province. We also hope that it encourages not-yet-members to join the ATCMA to help us do the work that benefits us all. If you are not an ATCMA member, then now is the time to join. In addition to helping us do the work for the profession, you also get many perks and discounts for yourself. https://atcma.org/blog/benefits-of-atcma-membership