Comments on: Stop the naturopathy wars. CNME’s medically trained naturopaths need a DISTINCT title

By: Peter M. McCarthy, ND

Peter M. McCarthy, ND — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:59:06 +0000

Dear Ken,
Hooray for you! I just read your post on “Stop the Naturopathy Wars” and couldn’t agree more. Since the inception of the Texas Health Freedom Coalition in 2005, we have been aware, through our political contacts, that the “food fight” between the naturopathic physicians (I call them the NPs) and the traditional naturopaths (what I call NDs) has been a primary reason why the entire alternative health community has been unfairly marginalized within our health care system.
As chair of the THFC, I have been looking for an opportunity to begin the healing process by reaching out to the NPs and beginning a dialog. If you or any of your contacts can be of assistance, please let me know. We have a very effective organization here in Texas, with over 48,000 members and an e-mail network reach of over a third of a million, which can lend weight to this campaign, provided it ever gets off the ground.
Of course, we know that it “takes two to tango,” and we’ve already heard that the AANP/CNME are planning to introduce another exclusionary licensing act here in Texas during the 2009 legislative session. The first attempt was soundly deferated in 1997 when the NPs ran afoul of the Texas Medical Association (TMA). The TMA actually asked the legislators’ personal physicians to call their state reps. and senators and ask them to to oppose the bill.
What AANP/CNME apparently aren’t aware of is that the Texas Dietetic Association (TDA) has tried this same tactic every legislative session since 1999, and been defeated every time. The TDA’s bills would have put the naturopathic physicians out of business just as quickly as the traditional NDs. Yet, only one of the handful of naturopathic physicians in Texas stepped forward to assist us. The others whom we contacted either expressed no interest or were openly hostile. How sad! With respect to this issue, it’s almost like they were indoctrinated in a sort of naturopathic madrassah.
The point is that the naturopathic medical and traditional naturopathic communities are natural allies, not enemies. We would welcome the opportunity to help heal these too-long standing wounds. Again, thanks for your incisive commentary. Keep up the good work!

Regards,

Peter M. McCarthy, ND
Chair, TX Health Freedom Coalition

By: ken winston caine

ken winston caine — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:34:22 +0000

Peter, congratulations to you and your colleagues for building a health-freedom organization of 48,000 members in Texas!

By: Health Freedom of Choice

Health Freedom of Choice — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:56:00 +0000

Dear Ken,

Your article was very enlightening. You mentioned Idaho recognizing the difference with a “two tiered system”……I have unfortunate news things are trying to be changed mid-game by the CNME/AANP Naturopathic Physicians after the 2005 Naturopathic Licensing Law was enacted.

Brief history for last two years; Licensing law 2005 signed by Gov Kempthorne
Some licenses were issued on temporary rules; mostly board members and a few others. Apparently “Pending Rules” were not promulgated correctly before the public….along with that came great derailing attempts from the CNME/AANP physicians. The Pending Rules needed to go before the public for comment that took place with public testimony in October 2007 was mostly positive and positive outweighed the negative. The rules were given to the legislature in January 2008 however 4 sets of rules were apparently delivered to the senators which made the Naturopathic Board look inept at best.

In my opinion the senators gave them a verbal spanking they then rejected the Pending Rules at the session on January 24, 2008 -
( Google Idaho legislature )
At that point during the session two senators appeared to threatened other future legislation- ultimately resulting in SB 1425 and SB 1364 being introduced.

SB1425 - is a bill to open the statute and change the language to make the law EXCLUSIONARY to all other qualified practitioners except CNME graduates, NPLEX National Board and US Department of Education recognized. No MD,DO,DC, LAc, Nurse Practitioner with additional training and education would NOT gain licensure unless they quit their practice and attended one of the only 4 CNME schools in the US take the NPLEX and apply for an ND License in Idaho. No licensed practitioner could feasibly do that, Never mind that their are other truly qualified programs. The only reason for US dept recognition is for federal student loan programs/repayment, etc.

SB 1364 is to Repeal the 2005 Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Act.

SB 1425 does not make logical sense to now all of a sudden change the rules in the middle of the game by denigrating all others in this state as “quacks” and “illegitimate” and they only care for people with light, air, water and diet. In my opinion the CNME/AANP are using the legislature to change the law to rewrite history if you will to license approximately 8 NP’s. The 2005 Naturopathic Licensing Law is a good one and should remain. Our legislature should not be used to create a regulatory scheme to license but a few.

The CNME/NPLEX/AANP graduates want exclusionary licenses. They want to block all others in this state…you know the drill….you have seen it before. The Idaho Association of Naturopathic Physicians have been established in Idaho since 1932. The ID Chapter of the AANP has only been established since August of 2007. The AANP physicians were association members and worked with the IANP for a few years to gain the 2005 license with the support of the IANP members and dollars then immediately broke away and started the ID Chapter of the AANP which has been established since August of 2007.

We managed to win 7 NO’s in the Senate to kill the bill which has cause for question from the House Health & Welfare right now. It will be coming up for a hearing soon. That’s all we know for now. It is sad that they want to fight to so hard to steamroll all others.

-Thomas Paine once said……
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself.

By: ken winston caine

ken winston caine — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:20:35 +0000

So sorry to hear that about Idaho.

Please keep us posted (here, if you don’t mind), on the progress.

Thanks,
kwc

By: Beso

Beso — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:43:01 +0000

I believe that naturopathic medicine will develop into a rigorous holistic medical field, where N.D.s will have every bit as
good basic education and clinical training as
M.D.s and D.O.s.
Only AANP/CNME schools are professionally accredited, and only they graduate licensable naturopathic physicians.
Education does matter. The CNME accredited schools graduate bright, motivated doctors who will bring credit to their profession and benefit the public.
Until their profession is widely accepted the
N.D.s will need to contend with various medical societies for the right to practice as physicians. The N.D.s will only succeed by strengthening their own education, professional
self-development, and increasing public awareness.
As far as ‘naturopathic wars’ you know all about the all-out attack to discredit licensable N.D.s training and goals as they try to get licensed.
Ken and Peter, I am very pleased to address you
as I think you are good, honorable, and intelligent men.
Do you have a vision how things will develop in the future? Any additional thoughts since you wrote your article and comments?
Health Freedom of Choice, your writing is very muddled, which must represent some internal confusion, or reflect being in a hurry.
It sounds like your IANP based naturopathic board made a mess of things and the Idaho governor was forced to step in to clean up.
I imagine, Idaho being Idaho ( conservative ), and governor having other business to attend (
I don’t know, promoting Idaho potatoes?), it must have been a sad mess.

Regards,

By: Peter McCarthy

Peter McCarthy — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:04:47 +0000

Ken, Beso, et al,
The unfortunate reality in the naturopathic field, much like the reality of the national political scene, is that the disagreement between the naturopathic physicians (NPs) and the traditional naturopaths (TNs) is dominated by the loudest, most extreme voices in both camps. What is lost in this cacaphony of anger is that the NPs and TNs have more in common with each other than they realize, or are willing to admit. Here in TX, the Texas Medical Association (TMA) is truly the 600 pound gorilla when it comes to health matters. Nothing passes in the leigslature without their approval, or at least their lack of opposition. Given this situation, the NPs are well advised to pick their allies carefully.
I don’t know if Beso is an NP (I suspect so), but I would submit that the continually demonstrated desire of the NP community to ally itself with the medical community, and simultaneously disparage the TN community, is misguided and self defeating. The reality is that the MDs generally don’t like the NPs, and never will; they see the NPs as a threat to their collective financial interests and professional survival.
At the same time, the TNs are much more numerous and can bring greater political weight to bear when legislation such as that recently filed in MN threatens their collective interests.
The bottom line here is that the NPs, no matter how well educated, do not serve themselves well by alienating a community that in reality could be their natural allies. I have continually advocated that the NP and TN communties need to sit down and hash this self-destructive situation out. A recently published book, “Galileo’s Lawyer,” written by Richard Jaffe, an attorney affilited with the TX Health Freedom Coalition, has a section on naturopathy which offers an outsider’s perspective: “The Naturopaths Circle the Wagons and Shoot at Each Other.” It’s time to stop the shooting. We have more in common than we know, and can accomplish more together than as adversaries.

Peter McCarthy, TN
Chair, TX Health Freedom Coalition
www.texashealthfreedom.com

By: Ermano

Ermano — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:28:12 +0000

Dear Peter,
I observed the recent legislative process to register NDs in Minnesota and I really appreciate your sentiment about putting an end to “shooting”.
The in-fighting definitely reflects very poorly on all sides.
The new Minnesota law for registering NDs creates a work group which will examine ways to ensure traditonal naturopaths will be able to continue practice without feeling threatened by registered NDs.
I hope assurances will be created which will be satisfactory and help both sides.
The issue ‘who can be called ND, or Doctor of Naturopathy’ seems to be at the core of the conflict.
I am sure you realize that NP stands for ‘nurse practitioner’, so licensed NDs cannot very well use NP title.
In Minnesota, registered NDs gave up ‘naturopathic physician’ title to placate MDs, and ‘naturopath’ to placate traditional naturopaths.
Do you have any suggestions about how to resolve this name quandary?