Accreditor for Naturopathic Colleges May Lose Federal Recognition.

WASHINGTON--(BW HealthWire)--Nov. 24, 1999--

The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), the accrediting agency for U.S. naturopathic medical colleges, announced today that its federal recognition is in danger of being withdrawn by the U.S. Department of Education.

For most of its 13 years as the federally recognized accrediting agency for naturopathic medical education programs, CNME has been steadfastly opposed by organizations representing the interests of individuals who have obtained naturopathic doctorates by correspondence. CNME's role as an accrediting agency has been to assure the quality and integrity of naturopathic education programs. The agency accredits three four-year naturopathic medical education programs in the U.S. and one in Canada.

In the eyes of prospective students and the general public, CNME's federal recognition clearly establishes the agency's role as the accreditor for programs leading to the Doctor of Naturopathy and Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degrees. This, however, may soon change.

CNME was informed in October that the Department of Education staff is recommending to the U.S. Secretary of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) to advise the secretary to discontinue CNME's recognition.

The Department of Education staff recommendation is seen by CNME as a defeat for the public's interest in curbing the rise of unqualified natural medicine practitioners.

"This recommendation will be viewed as a victory by the naturopathic correspondence schools who will now claim their degrees are as valid as those from CNME-affiliated programs," said Robert Lofft, the agency's executive director. "The situation will likely add to the confusion of those who seek naturopathic health care from qualified doctors."

Naturopathic medical colleges accredited by CNME are comprehensive educational institutions with four years of postgraduate training, including two years of clinical work in disease diagnosis and patient care.

According to CNME, their federal recognition is being vigorously opposed by the well-financed Coalition for Natural Health, a group that professes a national membership of 2,500. The organization has also been active at the state level in efforts to defeat bills that would license practitioners of naturopathic medicine.

"We believe many of the members of this organization are people who have obtained Doctor of Naturopathy degrees from correspondence schools not regulated by state education agencies," Lofft said.

Several schools of this type operate in the United States. They issue naturopathic doctorate degrees primarily to individuals in the 39 states that do not have licensing laws for naturopathic physicians.

The Department of Education staff recommendation to deny CNME's continued recognition is being forwarded to NACIQI's 14-member council this week. The committee will make the final recommendation to Secretary Richard W. Riley on December 6 during a public meeting in Arlington, Va.

CNME has the right to contest an adverse recommendation by NACIQI and plans to do so, if necessary. "There are compelling reasons why CNME deserves continued recognition, and I believe NACIQI's members will carefully consider the agency's qualifications," said Lofft. "If the committee upholds the staff's negative recommendation, we can then ask Secretary Riley to consider the matter."

In spite of its adverse recommendation, the Department of Education's staff found that CNME is a reliable accreditor of naturopathic programs. The report that carries the negative recommendation states, "Department staff believe that the agency (CNME) has demonstrated reliability as a programmatic accrediting agency."

The report goes on, however, to cite instances where staff found CNME in noncompliance with several regulations that apply to its role as an institutional accreditor. The instances were all in regard to one college that had experienced a financial crisis, from which the college has recovered.

If CNME's federal recognition is discontinued, the agency will not abandon its work. "We intend to remain in any event as the accrediting agency for naturopathic education programs," Lofft said. CNME currently has the approval of the naturopathic medical profession, state and provincial licensing agencies, and the naturopathic licensing examinations board that serves the U.S. and Canada.

Secretary Riley is expected to issue his final decision sometime within the coming year.