The National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 404E) established an OAM advisory council for the purpose of providing advice to the Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine in carrying out the congressional mandate for the Office.

AMPAC is comprised of 18 non-Federal members--primarily health professionals, business leaders, researchers, and lay persons, with expert knowledge and interest in the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Wayne B. Jonas, M.D., Director of the Office Alternative Medicine, will serve as AMPAC's newly appointed chairperson. Other members of AMPAC were nominated to serve overlapping terms of two to four years. These nominations were recently approved by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Full Council meetings are held twice each year, and are open to the public, unless determined otherwise by the DHHS Secretary. Council meetings are listed in the Federal Register, NIH Calendar of Events, and can be located on the OAM's website.

"New AMPAC members will compliment the broad array of scientific and medical knowledge that exists on the Council, and provide advice to the OAM in helping execute its mandate into the scientific evaluation of CAM practices," said Wayne B. Jonas, M.D.

The eight new AMPAC members, including their term expirations, are listed as follows:

New AMPAC Members:	Term Expiration:
Dana J. Lawrence, D.C., F.I.C.C., Professor Department of Chiropractic Practice; National College of Chiropractic Lombard, Illinois	February 2001
Raymond H. Murray, M.D. Department of Medicine Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan	February 2000
Karen N. Olness, M.D., Director Division of General Academic Pediatrics Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital Cleveland, Ohio	February 1998
Everett R. Rhoades, M.D. Associate Dean for Community Affairs University of Oklahoma School of Medicine Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	February 2001
Harry G. Preuss, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pathology Georgetown University Medical Center Washington, District of Columbia	February 2000
Alexander G. Schauss, Ph.D. Tacoma, Washington	February 2000
Marilyn J. Schlitz, Ph.D., Director of Research Institute of Noetic Sciences Sausalito, California	February 2001
Gilbert Rameriz, Ph.D., Associate Professor Department of Public Health and Prevention Medicine University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, Texas	February 2001

Since its 1993 inception, the Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council has held eight council meetings. The next AMPAC meeting will take place on September 22-23 at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus.

For additional information about the OAM contact the OAM Clearinghouse's toll-free number at 1-888-644-6226 or visit the OAM's new website at: http://www.altmed.od.nih.gov