CEO ’ s Report
Charles Wurf | ATMS CEO
ATMS lifelong learning ATMS has always maintained as a core pillar of membership a member commitment to lifelong learning . This foundation commitment is contained in the Objects of the ATMS Constitution .
Objects 3 ( b ) to encourage a high standard of knowledge , ethics and proficiency in the profession of Natural Medicine through lifelong learning and accreditation initiatives ;
The ATMS Constitution further embeds the commitment to lifelong learning through the practical policy of Continuing Professional Education ( CPE ).
6.16 Conditions of Accredited membership Accredited members must : ( a ) maintain at all times current First Aid certification
( b ) maintain at all times the required and current professional indemnity insurance as determined by the Board from time to time ; and
( c ) complete continuing professional education as set out in the applicable By- Law .
The ATMS Board has commenced a review process of CPE policies . Through 2023- 2034 we intend to reinforce the purpose of CPE compliance as the ongoing validation of our commitment to lifelong learning .
ATMS supports this commitment as a core component of professional standing for the practice of natural medicine .
The current ATMS member portal allows each member to self-load each CPE activity . Each member record can show an ongoing tally of CPE activities and total points ( the one proviso here is that any CPE activity conducted by ATMS will be automatically loaded for you , so there is no need to enter ATMS CPE activities ).
Over the coming years ATMS will take a proactive approach with all members to encourage you to plan and undertake your CPE activities for the year , and then to selfenter those CPE activities into the current member portal . The member portal is the place to securely store the details of your ongoing validation of lifelong learning . An enhancement of this feature of the current member portal is a key part of the current redevelopment of the ATMS website .
Underpinning this reinforcement of validation of lifelong learning for all members is a renewed approach to the annual ATMS CPE audit . We have reviewed the positive learnings from our experience of CPE during the COVID years , and we will now work over an extended time frame with the CPE sample group , starting in 2023 -2024 .
The CPE sample group for 2023-2024 will be selected and notified in August and will be encouraged to plan and complete CPE during the year 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 , and to validate that CPE on an ongoing basis throughout the year . ATMS will then use the validation details self-loaded in the member portal to assess compliance with the CPE policy and formalise the CPE audit for the sample group .
Health fund update Members are reminded that Health Funds also conduct random audits . Health Funds can audit your clinical records , copies of invoices related to treatments and / or your CPE . The Health Funds specify times and dates for reply and ATMS encourages any member facing a Health Fund audit to acknowledge receiving their email and to respond to the audit in a timely manner . Failing to respond in time to a Health Fund audit will close your Health Fund recognition and will make it difficult for both yourself and ATMS to reinstate Health Fund recognition .
Keeping clinical records and CPE up-to- date helps you respond to audits without delay , resulting in a positive outcome for you .
The key protection for Health Fund provider numbers is to always maintain currency of the four key pillars for Health Fund recognition : professional indemnity insurance , first aid , annual CPE and financial ATMS membership .
As so much of the Health Fund system is now digital , all expiry dates are maintained and tracked by computer . Best practice for ensuring currency is early renewal before expiry . ATMS now recommends renewing Professional Indemnity insurance and First Aid 14 days before expiry and advising ATMS immediately .
Contact us for support For any aspect of ATMS membership and Health Fund administration , the ATMS team is available to contact on 1800 456 855 or info @ atms . com . au . Documents supporting membership and CPE may also be submitted online via the membership portal on www . atms . com . au .
The ATMS member portal has been upgraded to allow easy upload of the key membership documentation : annual Professional Indemnity renewals , renewed first aid certificates and clear and concise member entry for all CPE activities . The CPE portal allows line-by-line user entry of all member CPE activities with a visual tally of total CPE points . For those members selected in the ATMS CPE audit , the online portal is also available to provide evidence of each CPE activity to substantiate audit compliance .
We look forward to working with and supporting members throughout the 2023- 2024 membership year .
Charles Wurf CEO
122 | vol29 | no3 | JATMS