Barbara Bernie with then California Governor Jerry Brown

Under Ms. Bernie's tutelage, California became the fourth state (after Nevada, Oregon, and Hawaii) to legalize acupuncture. The wording used and subsequent laws which Ms. Bernie helped pass allow California to continue to lead other states in maintaining quality care through a rigorous licensing procedure, and in granting licensed acupuncturists a level of autonomy to maximize their effectiveness.

Acupuncture legislation today
The legalization process continues today in a dozen other states across the country. While acupuncturists cannot practice legally in about 17 states, according to the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM), in the near future about 10 more states will legalize acupuncture. There remain several "stubborn" states that will take much longer.

Barbara Bernie today
Ms. Bernie's accomplishments in the legal process spanned from 1971 until 1983, when she designed and lobbied for a law to allow out of state and international doctors, professors, and acupuncturists to demonstrate and teach acupuncture in California. In 1982, she founded the American Foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (AFTM) in San Francisco.

She continues to manage the Foundation, staffing a referral center for consumers seeking alternative medicine practitioners, and consulting medical centers establishing acupuncture clinics. She frequently lectures at national and international conferences on complementary and alternative medicine. Despite her busy schedule, Barbara Bernie makes time to share an occasional meal or visit with friends and colleagues, such as Dr. Andrew Weil ("Andy", to Barbara), or Dr. Koshiro Otsuka, a significant figure in the complementary and alternative medicine community in Japan. Beyond these meetings, Ms. Bernie remains a healer at heart, offering gentle advice and a warm heart to every individual she touches. She turned 80 this summer and looks forward to continuing her third career (after modeling and interior design) and working on her mission: upgrading the practice of acupuncture through legislation and continuing professional education; and improving public awareness and understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine, especially among children.