Objectives:
- Sponsor national meetings, consensus confer-
ences, and workshops on validated CAM thera-
pies to enable practitioners and all other
concerned parties to identify effective interven-
tions for use in treating patients. - Disseminate CAM research findings to health-
care providers. - Identify and develop methods to overcome bar-
riers to the integration of safe and effective CAM
practices. - Support demonstration projects focusing on
how most effectively to translate CAM research
findings into practice. These projects will
emphasize the development of partnerships
between researchers and healthcare systems and
organizations that have incorporated CAM prac-
tices into the delivery of clinical care. - Facilitate integration of effective CAM practices
into routine healthcare delivery for NIH Clinical
Center patients. - Support enhanced communication and partner-
ship-building between conventional and CAM
healthcare institutions.
Practicing Responsible Stewardship
NCCAM will enhance customer service and con-
tinue to develop its valuable human resources,
effective leadership, sound management practices,
and efficient business systems in ways that reflect
the trust placed in it by the American public.
Goal 1
Develop NCCAM’s human resources
Objectives:
- Exploit all available strategies to recruit and
retain a motivated, highly qualified, well-
trained, versatile, and flexible workforce that is
committed to NCCAM’s vision. - Define roles and responsibilities of each staff
member clearly. - Vest staff with authority, accountability, and
autonomy.- Provide the resources staff needs to be successful
in performing their respective roles. - Foster diversity among NCCAM employees and
enhance understanding and appreciation of cul-
tural differences. - Promote a work culture characterized by
integrity, mutual respect, teamwork, and open
communication. - Reward excellence.
- Foster staff career development through practi-
cal experience, training, and other methods. - Emphasize quality of work life.
- Provide the resources staff needs to be successful
Goal 2
Establish effective leadership, management, and
administrative practicesObjectives:- Elevate standards of performance.
- Emphasize customer service.
- Enhance administrative infrastructure.
- Evaluate major NCCAM functions.
Goal 3
Engineer for efficiencyObjectives:- Streamline and automate business activities
based on benchmarking best practices. - Provide training for staff to enhance core com-
petencies to maximize use of systems, technol-
ogy, and equipment. - Develop exacting management systems.
ENDNOTES
1 Conventional medicine refers to medicine as prac-
ticed by holders of MD (medical doctor) or DO (doc-
tor of osteopathy) degrees and their allied health
professionals, some of whom may also practice com-
plementary and alternative medicine.
2 Eisenberg, D.M. et al. ”Trends in Alternative Medi-
cine Use in the United States,” 1990–1997. JAMA.
1998; 280:1569–1575.
3 This is the definition that NCCAM chooses to employ.
There are others as well. For example, the definitionAppendix V 225