Acupuncture Coming to a Hospital Near You

By Michael Kowalski, A.P., Dipl.Ac. (NCCAOM)
@Acupuncture & Holistic Health Center, Jacksonville Florida

BREAKING NEWS from The Joint Commission, which accredits most U.S. hospitals.

Effective January 1, 2018, hospitals will be required to provide nonpharmacologic pain management therapy, including acupuncture. The largest U.S. accreditation body for health care facilities announced this revision of hospital performance measures in early July.

The specific standard (LD.04.03.13) is now a ‘scorable’ Element of Performance, meaning accredited facilities will be required to provide nonpharmacologic approaches for pain management. The introduction to LD.04.03.13 specifies a short list of which evidence-based non-drug therapies must be provided. This list includes acupuncture treatment.

There are two main reasons why hospital accreditors have made this change. First, there are now hundreds of respected clinical trials proving that acupuncture is safe and effective to manage a wide variety of muscle pain, joint pain and nerve pain conditions. Second, there is a growing epidemic of pain medication use and abuse in this country, which is causing unwanted and sometimes life-altering side effects.

As an Acupuncture Physician for over 33 years, I am so excited to welcome these changes to our hospital systems! They will facilitate patient access to care options, reduce patient suffering and lower the risk of over-reliance on opioids, which have side effects and abuse liability. It will also result in the inclusion of more licensed integrative care practitioners such as myself, among other professionals, in the inpatient and outpatient hospital setting.

At the Acupuncture & Holistic Health Center in Jacksonville Florida, we strive to be a leader in changing the healthcare industry. Our goal is to work together with all the health care providers for each one of our patients. We accomplish this goal by providing evidence-based, cutting edge acupuncture treatment, rooted in traditional Worsley Five Element Acupuncture. We continue to encourage collaborative and integrative practices. This team approach enhances our patient’s experience, improves health outcomes and lowers healthcare costs. We are not only interested in healthcare, but “well care.” We believe the future of healthcare and well care lies in an integrative approach. We take great pride in leading the way.

For more information on this breaking news, CLICK HERE.