University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Clinical Services
Acupuncture Collaborative

In early 2005, individuals affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System, possessing diverse backgrounds in acupuncture were invited to work together with the goal of writing a policy for acupuncture for use within UMHS.

National criteria does exist to guide general acupuncture practice. However, there are unique considerations for the practice of acupuncture in a conventional healthcare center.  For example, there is a need to understand conventional medical terminology and diagnoses, and therapies outside the scope of acupuncture or Traditional Chinese Medicine alone. Descriptions of the acupuncturist’s findings and treatments must use language understood by the conventional medical team. And the acupuncturist must meet institutional requirements for patient care such as HIPAA privacy training.

Members of the collaborative met nearly every month for two hours throughout 2005 and early 2006 to discuss, debate, and agree upon standards which would guide a written policy for acupuncture at UMHS.

Members include:

Monica Myklebust, Chair of Collaborative, M.D., Director, University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Clinical Services, Department of Family Medicine

James Colson, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Center for Interventional Pain Medicine

Richard Harris, Ph.D., Research Investigator, Internal Medicine/Rheumatology

Jacqueline Kaufman, Ph.D., Post Doctorate Fellow, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Jeffrey Winsauer, Ph.D., Certified Acupuncturist, NCCAOM, community practitioner

Yu Qin Zhang, O.M.D., Certified Acupuncturist, NCCAOM, community practitioner

The collaborative successfully drafted a therapeutic acupuncture clinical policy and procedure which was approved by legal counsel.