| Type | Medical Research & Education |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1973 |
| Location | 8001 Irvine Center Drive, Ste 825 Irvine, California, 92618 |
| Key people | Eleanor Hynote, MD (President and CEO) Mark O'Neal Speight, MD (President-Elect and CFO) Drew McGray (Director, Marketing & Operations) Rachel Weaver (Manager, Education & Compliance) |
| Area served | Global |
| Focus | Alternative medicine |
| Revenue | 1.25 million annual |
| Members | 1500+ |
| Motto | The Voice of Integrative Medicine |
| Website | www.acam.org |
The American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) is a membership-based association of alternative medicine physicians based in Irvine, California. ACAM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. In addition to providing medical education, ACAM operates a referral network of physicians who provide integrative medicine therapies.
Contents |
ACAM's educational format includes instruction in current standard of care, as well as alternative treatment options.[1] ACAM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.[2] In 2010, ACAM developed an iPhone / iPad application for integrative physicians.[3]
ACAM is a member of a collaborative group of integrative medicine organizations that meet to further advance the industry through collaboration, collective dialogue and critical thinking. Other members include the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), The International College of Integrative Medicine (ICIM), and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM).
ACAM has long been a vocal proponent for Chelation Therapy, the efficacy, safety, and much of the theory behind which is disputed by the medical community.[4] In 1998, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged that the web site of the ACAM and a brochure they published had made false or unsubstantiated claims about the therapy. In December 1998, the FTC announced that it had secured a consent agreement barring ACAM from making unsubstantiated advertising claims that chelation therapy is effective against atherosclerosis or any other disease of the circulatory system.[5][6]