VUIM partners with Bread for the City, a frontline nonprofit that delivers essential services—including food, clothing, legal aid, and medical care—to low-income residents of Washington, D.C.

Through this collaboration, our students have the opportunity to participate in real-world community health initiatives that are rooted in equity and compassion. Together, we help expand access to integrative care where it’s needed most.

Through our partnership with Inova’s Peterson Life with Cancer™, VUIM supports a holistic approach to cancer care that complements conventional treatment with evidence-based integrative services.

Students gain experience providing care to both patients and caregivers. The program offers free support to individuals and families across Northern Virginia, regardless of where they receive treatment.

VUIM collaborates with the East Orange VA Medical Center to help deliver acupuncture and complementary therapies within a comprehensive care model for U.S. veterans.

Students serve in a multidisciplinary environment that includes specialties such as dermatology, mental health, cardiology, and ophthalmology. This partnership enables VUIM students to support a population with complex and evolving healthcare needs.

VUIM is currently working to establish a clinical partnership with GW’s Department of Athletics to bring acupuncture services into the student-athlete wellness ecosystem.

The initiative focuses on recovery, injury prevention, and mental well-being through an integrative care lens. As one of the country’s top Division I athletic programs, GW offers a dynamic setting for clinical collaboration.

VUIM is a proud member of the Coalition for Whole Person Health, a national network of nonprofit stakeholders organized in support of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

This coalition helps inform research priorities, shape policy, and promote interdisciplinary models of care. As part of this effort, VUIM advocates for integrative approaches that honor the complexity of whole-person health.

ACAHM is the only national accreditor for acupuncture and herbal medicine programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

VUIM’s CEO, John Yoo, currently serves as Chair of the Commission, guiding standards and practices for institutions nationwide. Our involvement ensures the integrity and advancement of academic excellence across the field.

CCAHM is a collaborative body representing academic institutions in the acupuncture and herbal medicine fields.

VUIM plays an active leadership role, with VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Thomas Quo serving as President of the Executive Committee. This work strengthens academic representation and unifies educational priorities across North America.

As a founding member of the AHM Coalition, VUIM helps drive national conversations around integrative medicine policy, research, and innovation.

The coalition supports schools, clinicians, and researchers in aligning efforts to grow the field responsibly and collaboratively. VUIM’s leadership role helps shape the future of acupuncture education and professional practice.

VUIM maintains an MOU with Kyung Hee University, one of South Korea’s most prestigious institutions for Korean medicine.

The partnership includes faculty dialogue, curriculum exchange, and joint student programming. This collaboration supports shared learning across two of the most advanced systems of East Asian medicine.

Through an MOU with Pusan National University, VUIM promotes academic exchange, student mobility, and collaborative research in Korean medicine.

Students and faculty share insights across clinical models and educational systems, creating a rich cross-cultural dialogue. The partnership supports global advancement in integrative medicine education.

Jaseng Hospital is a leader in spinal care and non-invasive therapies grounded in Korean medicine.

As one of VUIM’s newest partners, they joined us in Fall 2025 to lead a two-day CEU workshop and clinical demonstration, featuring innovations such as intravenous herbal therapy. This partnership offers our students exposure to advanced integrative protocols rarely taught outside Korea.

VUIM’s long-standing relationship with Shanghai University is a cornerstone of our global academic network. Students regularly participate in study-abroad experiences, while faculty collaborate on shared curriculum and research initiatives. VUIM President Dr. Lao, a graduate of the university, continues to strengthen this critical link between East and West.

Each year, a cohort of VUIM students joins the University of Hong Kong’s School of Chinese Medicine for a deep dive into traditional and contemporary care practices.

Led by Dr. Lao and Professor Yu Cheng, the program blends cultural immersion with academic rigor. The experience helps build globally fluent practitioners prepared for cross-border collaboration.

Our partnership with HKUST’s School of Nursing gives students a rare interdisciplinary lens into nursing and traditional medicine.

During a two-week academic program, students explore how Eastern therapies integrate with clinical nursing practice. This collaboration reinforces the value of hybrid care models in modern health systems.

VUIM’s academic agreement with Macau University of Science and Technology facilitates research exchange, joint programming, and curriculum development.

Students benefit from immersion in a globally recognized academic community. The partnership supports innovation and excellence in traditional medicine education on an international scale.

Our relationship with Saveetha University in India is built on shared values of academic rigor and innovation in health sciences.

The collaboration supports student and faculty exchange, opening new pathways for research and experiential learning. Together, we explore intersections between Asian medicine traditions and emerging global health models.

VUIM is developing an off-site clinical internship with Memorial Sloan Kettering, one of the world’s premier cancer centers.

Launching in winter 2026, the program will embed students within MSK’s Integrative Medicine Service. There, they’ll observe how acupuncture and herbal medicine are used alongside leading-edge cancer treatment.

VUIM and Georgetown University work together to create academic bridges between Eastern and Western healing systems.

This partnership supports interdisciplinary learning across acupuncture, herbal medicine, and conventional clinical science. Together, we help shape the next generation of integrative healthcare leaders.

VUIM actively engages with local government agencies to ensure that acupuncture and herbal medicine are part of broader public health strategies.

These partnerships allow us to support community wellness initiatives, expand access to care, and advocate for evidence-based policy. We see civic engagement as an essential part of our institutional mission.

As a member of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia, VUIM helps advance policy, licensure, and continuing education throughout the state.

We work closely with the Society to support practitioner advocacy and raise standards across the profession. Our involvement ensures students and alumni are aligned with state-level developments and opportunities.

VUIM is proud to partner with the Georgia Association of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine, a key driver of acupuncture policy and education in the region.

This relationship strengthens our presence in Georgia and supports our students’ long-term success. Together, we promote public awareness, professional growth, and expanded access to integrative care.