President ’ s Report
Peter Berryman | ATMS President
Our members have had ongoing concerns about potential mandatory vaccination requirements and pandemic lockdowns that are impeding our ability to provide our professional services . These issues have continued to be politically volatile , so in response , the ATMS Board has rapidly developed a new Vaccination Policy , publicly available on our website . We have taken an evidence-informed , individualised , pro-choice position . Members with strong opinions on this topic exist at both ends of the spectrum and their expressions of personal choice have been respectfully acknowledged . The ATMS Board are always mindful of keeping within our remit as a professional association , advising our law-abiding members of the current Public Health Orders ( PHO ) that are affecting provision of our essential natural medicine services . The ATMS Board have wisely sought expert legal advice , when necessary , to support our understanding of the complexities caused by these PHOs being issued by eight different State and Territory jurisdictions . This has avoided the possibility of changes or inconsistencies in our advice , so that members can feel confident in their understanding of their rights to practise . We have even managed to assist some members to have fines that were wrongly imposed cancelled . Contradictions from one jurisdiction to another over designations of our professional services remain . For example , although we achieved an acknowledgement by the Federal Department of Health of Chinese medicine ’ s status as an allied health profession , the Victorian State Government does not recognise this . However , Victorian Chinese medicine practitioners are required to comply with the same mandates as other Victorian allied health professions . ATMS ’ lobbying to resolve this anomaly with collaborating associations continues .
We have also alerted members of the potential financial support that has become available for small and micro businesses in some jurisdictions . ATMS is very grateful for the generous financial assistance provided by the Australian government which enabled us to pass on a significant discount to the annual membership fee last financial year . Even with many of our Continuing Professional Education ( CPE ) events cancelled and a reduction in the number of members , mainly due to our industry ’ s ageing demographics , our excellent stewardship of members ’ funds in a not-for-profit organisation has brought us close to achieving our budgetary aim of breaking even for the financial year 2020 / 2021 . This follows on from our healthy surplus in the previous financial year and has avoided the predicted significant deficit for this year . In fact , we have made the remarkable achievement of a surplus in four of the last six financial years , despite a pandemic and the resulting stock market crash .
ATMS has made significant contributions to the development and approval of the revised Massage Training Package materials that are likely to be rolled out by providers soon . ATMS representatives collaborate with others in the Industry Reference Committee for Complementary Health to write these curricula and provide feedback for excellence in governance in natural medicine education . In September , ATMS held its fourth annual Education Provider Symposium online , to provide an opportunity nationally for natural medicine educators to achieve their Continuing Professional Education target on cutting edge topics , such as strategies to successfully deliver online student clinic training during a pandemic .
Our capacity to continue with business as usual is mostly owed to the excellent staff at our Head Office in Meadowbank , Sydney , administered by our extraordinary CEO , Charles Wurf , and to our early engagement with technology to maintain our essential communication channels . At times , ATMS staff have been encouraged to safely work from home , via connection with our telephone network . Board and Committee meetings have been regularly conducted by Zoom , overcoming interstate travel restrictions . CPE events that were to have been faceto-face have been successfully converted to flourishing online webinars . Even our combined Annual General Meeting ( AGM ) and CPE seminar day in November this year pivoted to live streaming from a social-distancing compliant television studio in Warriewood , Sydney .
This has been an election year for four vacancies for Directors on the ATMS Board . So , many thanks to the members who voted electronically , as is provided for by our Constitution . Welcome to the new Directors who were announced at the AGM in November . Many thanks and a fond farewell to Trisha Mok for her outstanding contribution to the ATMS Board . Trisha was our very first Independent Director and has completed her maximum tenure of four years of service . Stay safe and enjoy all the freedom you can in our world . Wishing all members a joyous festive season and a happy and rewarding 2022 .
Always in your service …
Peter Berryman President
184 | vol27 | no4 | JATMS