On January 31, 2023, we began setting up our booth at 7:30 am. Before everything was organized, potential patients were lining up, as they remembered how we have helped them with acupuncture during past Legislative Sessions for so many years. After the 2020 NM Legislative Session, you will all painfully recall that the pandemic shut in-person events down. That included our planned 2021 and 2022 services in the Roundhouse. Drs. Yvette Arellano and Yvonne Walston take their turn at the booth in the photo.
Thus, we hope that January 31st, 2023 was a new beginning of acupuncture during the NM Legislative Sessions, while we monitor the pandemic, which does not quite want to give up – just yet.
Our location was perfect, in space “A,” just as one enters the center halls from the front entrance. Our goals were to be VISIBLE in order to promote our medicine and provide education, as well as treatments, and indeed we were visible.
It was simply fun to be there during Aerospace Day at the Legislature, where the hall was filled with other very interesting booths. We were right across from the Natural History Museum people. “You know, like in Star Trek” floated up and down the hall over and over. One young lady walked by in a hurry and said to her companion, “What is acupuncture?,” demonstrating that we all have some more educational work to do . . .
We were quite busy giving treatments in our booth at the Roundhouse. We had NMSAAM members Drs. Yvonne Walston, Yvette Arellano, Elene Gusch, Christina Claude, and John Scott. We are grateful that Dr. Nityamo Lian, and Eleni Fredlund, LMHC, ADS, from the NM Integrative Medicine Medical Reserve Corps, enthusiastically joined us with their expert treatments. John Scott and Yvette Arellano made the rounds of legislators’ offices. Dr. Pamela Barrett stopped by to visit, with a gift of acupuncture needles. Some legislators stopped by our booth, as well as staff and members of the public. Our lobbyists were also there working the Legislation, and checked in as appropriate.
Everything was very positive. A number of people asked if we’ll be doing treatments in the first aid area in the future like we used to do. An MD who we worked with in the first aid area in the past visited and remarked on how much people there like getting acupuncture.
We thank our lobbyists for helping us to obtain this date and space, along with our persistent Secretary, Elene Gusch, and our contact for the space, David Pacheco, the Assistant Building Superintendent.
Yvette Arellano, Nityamo Lian, Eleni Fredlund, and John Scott take a break in the photo on the right.
At this point, the 2023 60 Day Legislative Session is up and running in full force!
Please note: This article expresses the opinions and research of the author, and does not necessarily reflect all views or policies of NMSAAM members, the NMSAAM BOD, or the ASA.