NESA's VISION QUEST

On October 24, 2004 and February 4, 2005 NESA's Vision Quest community wide meetings were held to identify Where We Want to Be Tomorrow . Although the one-year Vision Quest has officially ended NESA will continue to pursue our vision to remain a strong educational, clinical, and research center. Areas of focus are outlined below:

Academic Programs – Content and Quality

As accreditation standards change faculty, student, and alumni provide feedback about our programs. NESA's academic leadership, the Interdepartment Committee ( IDC ), is charged with evaluating the current program and instituting programmatic changes to improve the content and quality of the curriculum while maintaining accreditation standards. Members of the IDC include: the Academic Dean, Department Chairs, President, CAS & CHM Faculty Member, a Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, and the Faculty Chairperson.

The Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) Program has undergone changes over the past few years. New courses such as: Patent Medicine, Introduction to Clinic - Formula Writing; and Clinical Pharmacology were added to the curriculum. The CHM clinical assisting and clinical internship hours were increased and NESA now offers integrated acupuncture-CHM clinical rotations.

Prospective students are being interviewed by Faculty and the President in order to identify the strongest candidates for admission. Applicants are screened for interest in the study and practice of Oriental medicine; previous successful academic performance; and the ability to complete a rigorous three-year academic program. We also look for maturity; strong interpersonal skills; and an ability and desire to focus time and energy in establishing a successful practice.

In January 2006 NESA hired ½-time, benefited, faculty in order to strengthen the infrastructure of the academic department while allowing the faculty time to maintain a clinical practice. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, these faculty members are developing learning tools for departments. They are also active members on faculty committees such as ranking, benefits, development; developing an e-forum for faculty and alumni on teaching, clinical practices, advanced training; publishing articles in relevant clinical journals; participating in research initiatives; and developing a series of new courses, one of which may lead to an Orthopedic Acupuncture track.

The Faculty Ranking Committee has made significant progress towards defining faculty ranks which will recognize faculty for their contributions to learning and the field of OM.

Department Chair positions have been redefined to better support the academic structure. A national search was conducted and the department chairs for the Chinese Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Departments have been hired.

A faculty newsletter published each term has been created to improve communication amongst faculty and encourage collegial activity.

Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and NESA collaborated to establish the Tufts- NESA Joint Degree Program in Pain Management. Currently enrolled students at both institutions are eligible for the Chinese Acupuncture Studies-Pain Management track ( CAS -PM). Graduates will earn master's degrees from both institutions. Supplementing NESA's training with extensive coursework at TUSM students will learn to effectively practice alongside conventional providers in an allopathic medical environment. In addition to becoming acupuncturists, joint degree graduates will become highly sought after experts in pain management, possessing an unusual skill set that bridges eastern and western approaches to the complex problem of pain. Eight NESA students have enrolled in the joint degree program and one student from Tufts will be enrolling at NESA in the fall.

The Business of Practice initiative was developed after the February 4, 2005 Vision Quest meeting. Learning about the challenges many Oriental medicine graduates face as they begin to establish a clinical practice NESA saw the need to provide support and encouragement to newly licensed practitioners. Training seminars, open to currently enrolled students as well as alumni, are scheduled monthly in order to provide opportunities for members of the NESA community to come together and network, learn business skills from other professionals, and strategize how to effectively establish and maintain a practice. The Business of Practice seminar dates and topics are posted on NESA's website.

Facilities

NESA interns provide over 25,000 acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatments annually. In order to expand the recognition of acupuncture services and provide access to care to all communities, NESA has established the following clinical affiliations. These satellite clinics, in addition to our primary location in Watertown , enrich third year interns' clinical experience providing diversity of patients, medical conditions and environments.

Boston Medical Center – Pediatric & Adult Medicine, Boston
Dimock Community Health Center , Roxbury
Elder Service Plan of North Shore , Lynn
Family Health Center , Malden
Mount Auburn Hospital , Center for Women, Cambridge
Pathways to Wellness (formerly AIDS Care Project), Boston
Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center , Roxbury
Winchester Hospital Family Medical Center – Wilmington and Woburn
Victory Programs Wellness Center , Boston

The Research Department has also established collaborative relationships with numerous Boston based educational and research facilities (see research section below).

Under the guidance of Staubach Real Estate Company NESA's Real Estate Committee toured properties in Cambridge , Charlestown , Lexington , Watertown , Waltham , and Newton over the past 14 months. In March the Board of Trustees approved the signing of a lease, effective fall 2006, at 150 California Street, Newton. This location will house classrooms, practice rooms, library, bookstore, student center, and administrative offices which will also included a designated faculty suite. Located just minutes away from the NESA Clinic & Research Center this site will provide easy access for faculty, students, and staff to move between the two facilities. Under the direction of Drummey, Rosane, Anderson, Inc, (DRA) the architectural firm that was hired to evaluate NESA's space needs, the California Street location is being designed to provide a comfortable learning and working environment.

A gala event will be scheduled in fall 2006 and held at our new location. We will be celebrating NESA's history and recognizing the people who contributed to the growth and development of the school.

Research

NESA's research department, under the direction of Peter Wayne , PhD, continues to lead the way for Oriental Medicine schools and OM research in the United States providing institutional visibility and financial resources. In addition to his NESA responsibilities, Dr. Wayne has been appointed by the NIH to review research grants.

NESA has established collaborative links with other research facilities such as:
Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Children's Hospital Boston; Mass General Hospital; Harvard School of Public Health; Tufts School of Medicine; Cochrane Collaborative; New England Research Institute; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital; Cambridge Hospital; Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates; Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged.

The research department faculty and staff have published widely in peer reviewed journals and presented at numerous conferences and talks.

NESA's faculty is increasingly involved in research and research training. An NIH grant has supported their participation in two courses, Principles and Methods of Clinical and Epidemiological Research and How to Write a Publishable Case report. To date more than 25 faculty have participated in the trainings. More generally, more than 40 faculty and alumni have participated in one of NESA's funded trails. Incentives for faculty and students are available to publish research and scholarly works. Faculty hired for the half-time benefited positions are now participating in research projects

We have built a strong research component within the master's degree programs providing students the opportunity to complete up to three courses emphasizing research methods.

The Research Department established a monthly seminar series in March, 2004. Each month leaders in the Oriental medicine and western medical fields lecture on research topics. Each lecture qualifies for 1 CAEU credit. The seminar series is free of charge and open to the public. Information on the date and topic of upcoming lectures is listed on NESA's website.

The NESA Institutional Review Board (IRB) was established as a research ethics committee which provides ongoing peer and community review to assure that all studies are well designed, that risks are minimized, and provide safeguards for the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research. Recently, the IRB has been awarded the right to issue CAEUs for service on the board.

Policies, Communication, and Development

As a young educational institution in a rapidly growing field, it is important for NESA to review the values that guide our institutional mission. The establishment of the Vision Quest was a direct result of our commitment to improving all aspects of NESA. In September 2005 the Board of Trustees hired a development consultant to conduct a needs assessment in addition to designing the development and public relations plan. In March of 2006, Sabrina Allinson was hired in the development office to assist in the implementation of the plan. NESA has also been working with a PR firm to design clinic and admission brochures and posters that professionally reflect NESA's educational programs and clinical facilities.

We are looking at ways to keep the community informed about NESA and the field. NESA's website is a resource not only for people interested in learning about the school but also for alumni referral information, updates on research initiatives, and job postings. Publications such as Currents, and the recently developed faculty newsletter, keep the NESA community up-to-date on the happenings around NESA.

In order to obtain licensure in Massachusetts , students must graduate from an ACAOM accredited school. NESA has maintained ACAOM accreditation since 1988 and is now underway in our next re-accreditation process. This self-study process is our comprehensive self-evaluation and critique which encompasses feedback from the entire community. The first phase of the self-study is to obtain comments via surveys and focus groups. Surveys were mailed to select recent alumni, faculty, students, staff, and teaching assistants. Focus Groups will be scheduled to obtain feedback from members of the NESA community. The information obtained from the survey and focus groups will be incorporated into the written report that will currently appraise NESA and make recommendations for improvements or changes. This report will be submitted to ACAOM in the spring 2007. ACAOM will send a site visitor team to review the document and evaluate the school. The length of NESA's next re-accreditation will be determined at the ACAOM spring 2008 meeting. The re-accreditation process keeps the Vision Quest initiatives alive and is a way for NESA will continue to strengthen our academic program, community presence, and internal structure.