AMTA Top News Stories of 2004

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Position Statements Test Process Successfully Completed at Annual House of Delegates Meeting – Proposals for 2005 Accepted Through January 2005

In October, the House of Delegates (HOD) considered and voted on a proposed test Position Statement about the value of massage for stress relief. This proposal completed the review process and met all Board-approved criteria to be considered by the HOD. Even if it had been approved, the test was not binding on delegates or AMTA.

This is a great step forward for AMTA, as approved Position Statements will represent the sense of the delegates, who were elected by members in their chapters. It also represents a new level of responsibility for delegates as they examine the pros and cons of a proposed Position Statement.

All proposals submitted by February 1, 2005 will go through standard review, with those meeting all criteria to be considered at the 2005 House of Delegates meeting in September.

Chapter Volunteer Orientation Program a Great Success

Camaraderie, learning and sharing were in full force once again this year, at AMTA’s 2nd annual Chapter Volunteer Orientation Program (CVOP). From July 8–11, 79 volunteers from 49 chapters visited Evanston, Illinois to better understand their roles and responsibilities.

Most participants were first-timers, such as Susan Olson (TX). “CVOP far exceeded my expectations,” she said. “To learn about leadership and how to build a strong team for the current and future growth of our organization and have a good time while doing it…what more can a person ask? I walked away with many new friends and a common shared vision,” she said.

Once again this year, participants helped develop the curriculum by noting the topics they wanted to discuss. In Friday’s sessions, CVOP attendees learned about association basics, legal and financial obligations, insurance and AMTA’s Future Directions. On Saturday, they discussed board development, chapter relations basics, financial responsibilities and volunteer development.

There were opportunities for participants to explore programs and subjects in-depth, according to the needs of their chapters. There was a program fair, which gave attendees a chance to network with their colleagues. Consultants and AMTA staff were on hand to answer questions on topics such as legal obligations, insurance, the Council of Schools, the Government Relations Program, AMTA Position Statements and chapter programs. Representatives of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, the AMTA Foundation and the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation were also present.

A number of people also said that attending CVOP would help them go back to their chapters and enhance their ability to serve its members.

Carol Weisman, known as the “Goddess of Governance,” was once again enthusiastically received as the opening keynote speaker. Another return favorite, Leadership Outfitters, guided the participants in a number of interactive activities that can be used with fellow chapter volunteers back at home. “Attending CVOP for the 2nd year has definitely engrained the role of the volunteer, and how the National [Office] is present for the volunteers and its members. I have received invaluable tools to lead my chapter and board effectively,” said New Jersey Chapter President Cheryl Chapman.

AMTA Hosts First Satellite Media Tour for NMTAW

In celebration of National Massage Therapy Awareness Week, on Thursday morning, Oct. 28 AMTA will host a special live TV satellite media tour with its immediate past president Brenda L. Griffith. The scheduled TV segments are listed below. Additional segments and stations may be added and interviews could appear in other TV markets, based on the news of the day.

TV producers interested in booking a segment should contact Mark Goldman at 312-895-4701 (mgoldman@sardverb.com).

AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist? inquiries up 112%

In 2004, inquiries to AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist national locator service more than doubled those for 2003. The service had more than 250,000 users compared to 118,000 the previous calendar year.

The service directs potential massage clients to information about AMTA Professional classification members, through search by zip code, types of massage practiced and other criteria. More than 90% of inquiries were searches through AMTA’s online version of the service.

AMTA articles tell millions what to expect from massage and how to find a qualified AMTA member

In spring 2004, AMTA began a public relations program with consumer media and with the healthcare community telling them to “Look for an AMTA member”. AMTA distributed short, standardized articles about massage therapy to 5,000 local newspapers two short public service announcement scripts to 6,000 radio stations. These articles and announcements tell consumers what to expect from a massage and how massage can help them ease pain. They also say, “Look for an AMTA member” to get your massage.

In 2004, the articles were published approximately 4,000 times (mostly in small daily and weekly newspapers). The radio spots were aired more than 800 times in local markets.

AARP Article Refers Readers to Find a Massage Therapist Locator Service

The article about the benefits of massage in the July/August issue of AARP, The Magazine helped boost the number of inquiries to AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist national locator service to record levels. Published in early June, with a sidebar referring readers to AMTA’s locator service and a link from the AARP Web site, the article pushed inquiries to 25,655 for that month. That’s more than double the average monthly number of potential clients using the locator service in AMTA’s fiscal year 2003/04.

AMTA worked with the writer and editor of the publication for three months, encouraging them to provide clear accurate information about massage, and to tell their readers to look for an AMTA massage therapist. This is part of AMTA’s Strategic Focus to encourage consumers to seek AMTA members for massage.

Annual Consumer Survey Shows Massage Therapy Popular for Pain Management and Relief

Read the Press Release

2004 Consumer Survey Fact Sheet

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