Committees
Your FSOMA Committees are made up of members just like you. Committee meetings are held on zoom and are not just your average video calls, but vibrant hubs of creativity, lasting only 1-2 hours one time per month. Add to that another 2-3 hours of behind-the-scenes magic each month, contributing to projects that truly make a difference. Know that you can learn a lot about processes, the profession and yourself.
YOU can be a part of this dynamic force! Imagine the thrill of learning, the joy of contributing, all while nurturing the profession you hold close to your heart.
Ready for the adventure? Dive into the FSOMA Committee lists and check them out. Pick the one that fits your passion and purpose, then remember to hit that ‘Volunteer’ button. Strap in for a journey where your passion meets purpose!
Choose a Committee
*AdHoc Means they meet for a specific purpose and not regularly.
Advocacy Public/Relations Committee
Mission statement: The mission shall be to promote a better understanding of the profession and the FSOMA through a variety of public outreach efforts, marketing, and public relations.
Activities:
- Organize and execute yearly Acu-Ed day
- Advocate for the profession via participation at various healthcare professional conferences or other events and means
- Promote acupuncture to the general public via participation at various conferences or other events. Solicit events in which to participate
- Identify, solicit, and execute education and marketing opportunities for healthcare providers.
Committee member skills:
- Ability to communicate with others
- Organizational skills
- Ability and willingness to collaborate with others
Membership Committee
Mission statement – The Membership Committee focuses on recruiting and retaining members, ensuring member programs are aligned with membership needs, communications and general issues impacting the membership. The committee also reviews pending member applicants.
Activities:
- To develop and maintain member benefits and services which increase the rate of membership
- Establish & maintain student connections
- Mentoring/Support for new and established members
- Business Help Desk
- Recruits or Identifies new volunteers for the FSOMA and helps them find assignments they will enjoy.
- Call graced/lapse members
Committee member skills:
- Experience and or desire to learn marketing skills and communication skills
- Willingness to contact with members via email, and phone
Insurance/Clinical Practice Standards Committee
Mission statement: To increase FSOMA members’ awareness of best documentation and practice standards to ensure decreased rate of claim denials. Provide regular updates to the members about changes in the insurance industry. Educate FSOMA members on new local and worldwide developments in the practice of acupuncture, herbal medicine and adjunct modalities.
Activities:
- Ongoing activities to improve insurance coverage for Acupuncturist practice services
- Represent FSOMA members in communication with the Insurance Companies and the VA, Medicaid & Medicare governing agencies.
- Communicate with the ASA Insurance committee.
- Ensure timely delivery of insurance industry updates to FSOMA and its members monthly and as needed.
- Ensure timely delivery of clinical practice standards updates to FSOMA and its members monthly and as needed.
Committee member skills:
- Experience in billing insurance
- Experience with EHR or willingness to learn it
- Ability to produce educational materials for FSOMA members & insurance professionals, other healthcare providers
- Experience and/or Interest in the area of medical documentation
- Experience and/or interest in the area of guidelines & policies writing
Legislative Committee
Mission statement: FSOMA’s Legislation Committee priority is to further the best interest of acupuncturists licensed under Chapter 457 through the active involvement in the legislative process and the creation or amendment of statutes that apply to the practice of acupuncture.
Activities:
- Monitor FL Law changes pertaining to practice of acupuncture
- Shall attend the Board of Acupuncture (BOA) meetings and report activities and actions of BOA to the FSOMA members
- Lead legislative campaigns then needed
Committee member skills:
- Strategic thinking
- Ability to forego practice schedule when needed on the short notice to visit Tallahassee
- Willingness to learn Laws & Rules of Florida pertaining to acupuncture
- Ability to retain calm demeanor then dealing with legislators
- Willingness to develop clear and concise writing and speaking skills appropriate for legislative activities
Annual Conference Committee
Activities:
● Produce a quality event with popular speakers, numerous and varied exhibitors, and high attendance.
● Develop a well-balanced, high-quality educational program for continuing education credits.
● Create a marketing campaign for promotion of conferences to acupuncturists and students.
● Design a theme of interest and plan special events and activities for attendees.
● Vetting of courses submitted for its content and interest to the attendees.
● Suggest, recommend, and present to the BOD budget and venues/locations for the forthcoming conference.
Committee member skills:
● Commitment to the committee’s objectives and goals to produce a well-balanced, high-quality educational program
● Be a visionary to continually and consistently grow the conference as a valuable event for all acupuncturists
● Ability to think analytically regarding the strategic planning and logistics of presenting a statewide conference
● Ability to think critically for the development of annual medical theme with course content and tracks
● Be interactive in sharing creative ideas regarding promotion and marketing of conference to both in-state and out-of-state acupuncturists
● Be innovative in the development and presentation of conference events and activities for attendees
● Dedication of time in pre-conference planning and active participation during the conference
Board of Directors Committee
FSOMA Mission statement: To improve the health and wellbeing of Floridians by advocating for the profession of Eastern Medicine and Acupuncture
Activities:
- Provide oversight & guidance to the FSOMA.
- Sets the organization’s strategic direction
- provide financial oversight and ensure that the organization has the necessary resources to achieve its goals.
- Ensure that the organization operates within legal and ethical guidelines.
- Hires and oversees the Executive Director and Office Staff
- Chair committees and oversee their efforts
Board Skills (you don’t have to have all these except #1)
- Passion for the Profession
- Eagerness to participate
- Prepared for events and activities
- Excitement for Committees work
- Willing to speak your mind and listen respectively
- Curiosity to learn more
- Communication Skills
- Strategic planning
ByLaws Committee
Mission statement: To review and propose edits to FSOMA’s by-laws as needed. To review, develop, and edit written policies and procedures consistent with the FSOMA’s by-laws to facilitate and ensure the well-ordered management of the Association, in furtherance of its mission.
Activities:
- Review ByLaws annually and revise as needed.
- Review Policies annually and revise as needed.
- Develop New Policies as needed.
- Assist all committees with developing policies and procedures for tasks and activities.
Committee member skills:
- Ability to research, review, and understand applicable Florida statutes that regulate non-profit corporations.
- Ability to review, edit, and propose policy and procedure guidelines necessary to the legal and proper governance and management of FSOMA.
- Strong reading comprehension and technical writing ability
- Strong consensus building and interpersonal skills
Continuing Education Committee
Activities:
- Identify areas of necessary knowledge to meet the demands of professional advancement.
- Source qualified speakers for the Annual Conference.
- Source qualified speakers for the cohosted, promoted and/or sponsored by the FSOMA CEU classes, which would provide an additional source of revenue.
- Communicate and meet with the Office Staff to schedule classes
- Review and evaluate quality of CEU applications
Committee member skills:
- Some Teaching experience & skills helpful
- Knowledge of Laws and Rules of Florida regarding CEUs
- Critical thinking skills
- Knowing trends in the profession regarding popular classes and topics
- Willingness to host CEU zoom classes
Ethics Committee
Activities:
- To provide an understanding of ethics and how it applies to our profession.
- To review ethical issues within the FSOMA, as needed; and propose policy or language changes to the Board of Directors
- Review and update the FSOMA Directors, Code of Ethics
- Review and update the FSOMA Executive Director and Staff Code of Ethics
- Review and update the FSOMA Membership Code of Ethics
- To propose policy changes that improve FSOMA’s ethical standards.
Committee member skills:
- Knowledge of relevant ethical guidelines, regulations, and laws
- Experience with ethical assessments
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to transform abstract theoretical ideas into practical recommendations
- Awareness of social norms and the likely consequences of branching them
Fundraising Committee
Mission Statement: To find innovative ways to raise the funds necessary to fund running the FSOMA, fund the legislative process in Florida, and any Federal legislative changes that may affect our profession and have reserves to cover any new items that FSOMA may be faced with.
Purpose – The fundraising committee oversees and directs fundraising activity. This committee isn’t solely responsible for raising money, but it leads the board’s fundraising effort. The committee works with staff to establish a fundraising plan.
Activities:
- Credibly solicit contributions from foundations, organizations, and individuals
Committee member skills:
- Experienced at reaching out to the public for donations
- Experienced in creative ways for FSOMA members to reach out to clients for donations
- Experienced in creative ways for acupuncture schools to raise money
Nominating/Board Development Committee
Mission statement:Identify and recruit qualified candidates for all levels of the organization. Train the board and committee members for leadership roles. The primary role of a nominating committee is to oversee board recruitment and succession planning. The committee monitors recruitment closely and seeks out potential candidates for committees and directors of the board.
Activities:
- To source candidates for leadership by developing a system to recognize and encourage chapter leaders and future BOD members. Nominations – Event 1x/year
- To prepare priorities for board composition
- To meet with prospective board members and recommend candidates to the board
- To recommend a slate of officers to the board
- To conduct orientation sessions for new board members and to organize training sessions for the entire board, and
- To suggest new, non-board individuals for committee membership.
Committee member skills:
- Organized and able to interview prospective Board/committee member candidates
- Skillful listener able to assist candidates in finding their best supportive role on the BOD
- Skilled at identifying candidates passions and abilities to help FSOMA meet its mission
- Skilled at pairing candidates with their committees of their choice.
- Skilled at attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds and life and work experiences.
- Skilled at identifying candidates who may need additional resources and support.
Publication/Website Committee
Mission statement: The mission is to oversee the development and production of association publications, including the journal and any other newsletters, guidelines, or documents. To provide direction to editors and the staff concerning format, schedule, market, and distribution, etc., concerning these publications.
Activities:
- Meet with all Committee Chairs to discuss what publications and material is needed to be developed. Including timeline and preferred method of distribution
- Meet with Office Staff to discuss publications and materials needed to be developed
- Vet and provide estimates of publication companies for printed materials needed
Committee member skills:
- Experience in team work and/or willingness to learn and collaborate with others
- Experience in researching pricing for quality companies to produce printed material
- Well organized
Wellbeing Committee
Mission statement: The mission of the well-being committee is to promote and support the physical and mental health and wellbeing, while providing community and social support for FSOMA Members and the communities that they serve.
Activities:
- To provide education and access to resources to FSOMA members related to physical health, mental health, community support, and social well-being.
- To provide education and access to resources to the general community related to the field of acupuncture and East Asian medicine, physical health, mental health, community support, and social well-being.
Committee member skills:
- Experienced in research and using scholar journal articles.
- Experienced in researching community health care resources for acupuncturists and the general public.
- Experienced in providing resources for acupuncture patients and acupuncture clinicians.
- Experienced in connecting with members within their local, state, and/or national community.
- Open to learning and providing resources, education, and information related to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in healthcare, East Asian medicine, and general well-being for acupuncturists and the general public.
- Open to researching webinars, classes, CEU’s, and clinic products related to the field of acupuncture, East Asian medicine, and the general activities of the Well-being committee.
Volunteer with FSOMA
FSOMA members are uniquely positioned to contribute to the mission of improving the health and wellbeing of Floridians by advancing the profession of Eastern Medicine and Acupuncture through a variety of volunteer opportunities—from speaking with legislators about the importance of our medicine to the health of Floridians, to advocating the public and other medical professionals, to writing articles for fsoma.org to serving on a committee or the Board of Directors.
Explore all the options and find the right one for you
