March 22, 2017

Wally Doggett, President
Texas Association of Acupuncturists and Oriental Medicine
321 W. Ben White Blvd., Suite 204B
Austin, Texas 78704

Dear Mr. Doggett:

I want to thank you and your representative, Kathy Grant, for meeting with me and my association’s representative, Geoff Connor, last week. We appreciate your advising us of your legal and legislative plans and proposals. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to reflect further on our visit and confer with my fellow board members of the Texas Association of Acupuncturists (TAOA). We have determined that we cannot support your plan, and we believe it may be damaging to the profession of acupuncture.

The TAOA believes the chiropractors’ initial intrusion into the practice of acupuncture was illegal and unprofessional. We further believe that the continued expansion of the practice of acupuncture by chiropractors represents a danger to the public. We applaud the fact that you brought suit to challenge the outrageous rulemaking of the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and we understand that you now seek to close that litigation with a settlement and a negotiated rulemaking.

However, TAOA believes that compromise with the chiropractors is unacceptable. Our position is one of moral conviction that the practice of acupuncture is a very precise and scientific craft. It is not a practice to be taken lightly or negotiated away as a means of settling litigation. The right thing is for the state of Texas to confine chiropractors to their own field and acupuncturists to their field. In this way, the professions may best concentrate on their specific training and educational requirements, and the public may be assured of receiving the highest quality care.

I also want to remind you of the significant training that is required of acupuncturists. It is foolhardy and highly risky, therefore, to allow another health profession to use the same techniques with only minimal training. The public is placed at risk without even knowing the dangers they face.

The TAOA concludes that it cannot in good conscience be part of your effort. This is not because we do not share many of your objectives, and we respect your considerable efforts. However, we must stand on our principle that the profession of acupuncture must be more carefully safeguarded for the benefit of the profession and the general public.

Very truly yours,

Lisa Ping-Hui Lin
President

Wally Doggett’s (TAA) letter to the Chiropractice Board:
Letter to Wally Doggett