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Fall
2001 |
Advisory Council Reviews Successes and Challenges at NCCAMThe National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM) met on August 27, 2001, in Rockville, Maryland. The Council comprises scientists, physicians, practitioners, and other parties from across the United States who provide a number of important advisory functions to the NCCAM Director. In this third meeting of the year, the Council heard guest speakers from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy; discussed NCCAM's progress and plans for the future; and reviewed research concepts and proposals. |
Stephen E. Straus, M.D., Director of NCCAM, led off the presentations by discussing organizational changes at NCCAM and introducing new senior staff members (see "New Senior Appointments at NCCAM"). He also discussed the Bush administration's funding request for fiscal year 2002 for NIH and NCCAM, which would raise NCCAM's budget from $89.1 million to $100.6 million. Dr. Straus noted that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy G. Thompson, spent a full week in August visiting NIH. Several members of the NCCAM staff had an opportunity to meet with Secretary Thompson and outline NCCAM activities for him (see "Message from the Director"). NHLBI and CAMClaude Lenfant, M.D., Director of NHLBI at NIH, gave a presentation on his Institute's research. Programs at NHLBI have contributed to a steady increase in life
expectancy in the United States through improved treatment and prevention
of cardiovascular disease. Since its inception in 1948, NHLBI has evolved
and realigned its activities to include many aspects of complementary and
alternative medicine. For example, Dr. Lenfant said, the first research
grant in behavioral medicine at NIH was awarded by NHLBI, and the
Institute has witnessed a steady increase in research in this area. "Our
view is that behavioral medicine is an important part of medicine," he
stated. |
Dr. Claude Lenfant |
NHLBI has actively supported research for many years on a variety of CAM modalities. Dean Ornish, M.D., a leading proponent of reversing heart disease, began his work under the sponsorship of NHLBI. Among many CAM-related topics, the Institute currently supports research into the effectiveness of transcendental meditation in treating coronary heart disease, and it has sponsored research on the cardiovascular benefits of soy phytoestrogens. |
Dr. Lenfant discussed new clinical trials on the use of EDTA chelation therapy for the treatment of coronary artery disease, research cooperatively sponsored by NHLBI and NCCAM. "This is an issue of tremendous interest," stated Dr. Lenfant. "We hope that these trials will answer some of the questions." Both Dr. Lenfant and Dr. Straus anticipate great success in collaborative research sponsored by NHLBI and NCCAM. Dr. Lenfant said, "We are glad to have the Center as our colleague, and we believe that what we and they can contribute will be of benefit to the public health." Dr. Straus commented that Dr. Lenfant "has moved forward the robust traditions of NHLBI," and NCCAM is honored to collaborate with him and his colleagues. White House Commission UpdateJames S. Gordon, M.D., chair of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) and Stephen C. Groft, Pharm.D., the Commission's executive director, presented an update to NACCAM. The WHCCAMP, established by President Clinton in March 2000, has been charged with making recommendations to the President on a variety of CAM policy and legislative issues ranging from research to practitioner licensing. |
Dr. Stephen Groft (left) and Dr. James Gordon |
Dr. Gordon described the wide range of written communication and testimony that the Commission has received from all over the United States. Comments have come from conventional physicians, herbalists, patients, and many others. "It is clear that there is a mandate for more education about CAM practices at every stage of training," stated Dr. Gordon. He also stressed the importance of understanding and communication among professionals in CAM practice and those in conventional medicine. More information about the WHCCAMP can be found online at http://whccamp.hhs.gov/. Concept ClearancesNCCAM program officers presented four proposed research concepts to the Advisory Council. After discussion by the Council, all were approved:
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Dr. Jane Kinsel, Dr. Stephen Straus, and Dr. Marc Blackman, NCCAM. To their right are NCCAM members Dr. Michael Cantwell (left) and Dr. Brian Berman |
During the afternoon session, the Advisory Council reviewed proposals for research grants in a session closed to the public. NACCAM Personnel NotesDr. Straus announced that Everett R. Rhoades, M.D., and Dana J. Lawrence, D.C., F.I.C.C., will remain on the Advisory Council until new permanent members can be appointed. Dr. Rhoades is associate dean of community affairs and adjunct professor of medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Tulsa; adjunct professor of international health at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and director of education initiatives at the Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Lawrence is dean of the National Lincoln School of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, Illinois. Dr. Straus introduced the following six ad hoc members who sat on the Council for this meeting:
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Members Dr. Murray Goldstein (right) and Dr. Haile Debas confer |
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The next public NACCAM meeting is scheduled for January 28-29, 2002. Information on the Council, including minutes of previous meetings, may be found on the NCCAM Web site at http://nccam.nih.gov/an/advisory/naccam/index.html. |
Morgan Jackson, M.D., Director of NCCAM's Office of Special Populations, presented the draft NCCAM Strategic Plan to Address Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities to the NACCAM at its Spring 2001 meeting | |
Complementary &
Alternative Medicine at the NIH is published by the National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). NCCAM's
Director is Stephen E. Straus, M.D. The newsletter is available by mail,
on NCCAM's Web site http://nccam.nih.gov, or via
e-mail by contacting the NCCAM Clearinghouse by toll-free telephone
(1-888-644-6226) or e-mail (info@nccam.nih.gov). Please specify
if you want Adobe Acrobat or plain HTML. NCCAM's Web site is at http://nccam.nih.gov Our mission: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science; training CAM researchers; and disseminating authoritative information. |
The NCCAM does not serve as a referral agency for various alternative medical treatments or individual practitioners. NCCAM's Clearinghouse: For information about the NCCAM or any aspect of CAM, call the NCCAM Clearinghouse at its toll-free number, 1-888-644-6226, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. NCCAM Clearinghouse 1-888-644-6226 (Toll-Free)
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