Society Of Hospital & Healthcare System-based Acupuncturists

The Society of Hospital & Healthcare System Acupuncturists was established as a unique nonprofit in March 2023. It is the new home for the healthcare system acupuncture community. This community includes clinicians currently working in healthcare system-based practice, program managers & admin, researchers who work with this community, students & prospective practitioners interested in this specialty, and those who support our work. This nonprofit works to improve communication about employment practices and program standards for LAc work in the U.S. healthcare system. Some of the current biggest barriers to patient access to an acupuncturist's care include trouble in finding current and accurate information (and examples) on how to hire & credential LAcs into a system and then program setup & standards. This nonprofit is unique in that it communicates about these standards while being able to connect with colleagues who are doing the work. ☺️ We define "healthcare system-based work" broadly to include any facility, program, or organization that is accredited by or eligible for accreditation by The Joint Commission. This includes (but is not an exhaustive list) civilian and federal facilities, FQHCs, county clinics, urban safety net hospitals, academic medical centers, county and city hospitals, and some hospice organizations. This work began several years ago through the nonprofit program, The Hospital Handbook Project (HHP) for Acupuncturists and Their Hospital Sponsors, a nonprofit program founded and directed by Megan Kingsley Gale. In March 2023, the HHP community & Megan decided to move this work into its own 501c3 organization. The current name for this new organization, per community feedback, is the Society of Hospital & Healthcare System-based Acupuncturists. More to come, over time, as we continue to establish this new nonprofit.