09/03/2019
It has come to our attention that many of our members received a letter from the City of San Francisco to cease and desist the practice of massage (defined as massage and bodywork in the Massage Practice Act) if you do not have a "Health Permit to Operate." San Francisco's ordinances appear to assume that massage therapists and bodywork professionals are all engaged in nefarious activities. This newspaper article will fill you in on the situation: https://missionlocal.org/2019/08/hundreds-of-massage-therapists-reportedly-cited-in-crackdown-as-practitioners-fear-for-future-in-san-francisco.
ABMP is encouraging members to join us in opposing this effort by taking a few important and immediate steps.
Three Action Items:
1. We encourage you to attend a meeting of the Full Health Commission at 101 Grove Street, Room 300, on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. Individuals will most likely have about one minute or so to give public comment. We encourage you to let the commission know that massage and bodywork are part of the delivery of health care and wellness in San Francisco, and that the department should recognize you as such.
2. We also encourage you to write emails with similar messaging to the proposed testimony above, and to encourage your friends and clients to do the same, to your local Supervisor and their aides to alert them of these actions. You can find your supervisor and their contact information here: https://sfbos.org. Additionally, send your comments to the Health Commission at health.commission.dph@sfdph.org and address it to:
Grant Colfax, M.D., Director
James Loyce, Jr, M.S., President
Dan Bernal, Vice President
Edward A. Chow, M.D.
Cecilia Chung
Laurie Green, M.D.
Tessie Guillermo
3. Finally, please also submit your comments to Emily Murase, PhD, the Director at the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women at this email address: Emily.Murase@sfgov.org. Dr. Murase was instrumental in getting the ordinance in place that requires massage therapists and bodywork professionals to be zoned to certain areas and to require the health license.