Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), chair of the Appropriations Committee, resolved October 6-12, 2014 as the next Naturopathic Medicine Week.

The inaugural Naturopathic Medicine Week last October reached more than 5,000 people across the U.S., according to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), noting Congress officially acknowledged naturopathic medicine as “safe, affordable, and effective,” in 2013.

The week provides an opportunity for passionate and unified groups to positively impact the health of their communities, which is essential in order to continue to make significant inroads on the policy front, stated AANP, adding at least 66 events took place last year across the country including open houses, wellness walks, educational talks, free consults and charity raffles. Additionally, proclamations were issued from the governors of Arizona and Delaware and the mayor of the county of Hawaii.

The association encouraged involvement this year from students and practitioners around the country, reporting that the week celebration is an opportunity to celebrate the profession and spread awareness of the benefits of naturopathic medicine to prospective patients, legislators, the media and the public.

To find out how your practice or business can get involved, check out starter resources at Naturopathic Medicine Week Page.