Hello, Welcome and Thank You for reading our first newsletter of 2026! And what a year 2026 promises to be! The year of the Fire Horse may bring opportunity, optimism, breakthroughs, growth, energy, transformation, joy, courage and clarity. And what great energy to be communicating today!
As we look to plans for the coming year, TCMO is moving the profession forward at every opportunity. We are revitalizing our website, growing our membership, maintaining close ties with other Associations, and actively engaging with our regulator, policy makers and government. All the while, we are continuing to concentrate on many initiatives that we began in 2025.
Integration:
We’re focusing on integration of our profession within community health care centres and primary care practitioner-led clinics. Last year, we made many presentations to government and organizations, including publishing a number of briefing notes. This year, we will attend the Alliance for Healthier Communities conference to promote the value of inclusion of a TCM-trained clinician within family care teams. In January, we made a prebudget submission to the Ontario government highlighting the value of a pilot project on integration within family care teams.
Collaboration:
In 2025, in response to the absence of our profession within The Compendium of Roles in Team-Based Primary Health Care, and alongside professional associations from BC, Alberta & Quebec, TCMO championed two entries. After careful review and editing, these entries were circulated for comment and approval to every known association across Canada. We are excited to report that every comment received was highly encouraging and very positive. We anticipate the publication of the revised Compendium which will include entries for R.Acs and R.TCMPs, in the first months of this year.
Advocacy:
We promote the benefits and relevance of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture (TCM&A) at every opportunity and meeting with policy makers and government officials. As an active member of the Council of Ontario Regulated Health Professions Associations, we represent the TCM profession in Ontario, support other RHPs and engage with consultations and issues to keep informed. We are working to achieve better patient health outcomes through inclusion in the OCF-18 forms, which will simplify and expedite care and recovery following auto accidents.
Membership:
We continue to improve our membership benefits, and we have exciting plans in place for advertising support for our members! Look for more opportunities to engage with your fellow practitioners and TCMO members as well as improvements to the TCMO website.
We need Your Help!
Yes, we need your help! TCMO is volunteer-led and volunteer-run. Every Board member is taking time from their practice, their family, their dog and their cat to make time to support the TCM&A profession in Ontario.
How can you help?
If you are a member – THANK YOU!! And please encourage your colleagues to join. If your membership has lapsed, please renew your membership. If you have read our newsletters and are not yet a member, join now! Right now! It’s simple. We ask for an investment of about 3 patient visits – $295 – for an entire year of representation, advocacy, awareness building and membership benefits like insurance discounts, digital charting options and direct support for your practice.
Your membership strengthens our voice. Your membership protects the future.
We are stronger together.
With your support, we can ensure that our profession is respected, integrated and here to stay!
We wish you the very best beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse!
Heather & the Entire Volunteer TCMO Team!