Virginia University of Integrative Medicine

Our CEO John Yoo and Haley Parker were invited back to the Great Day Washington studio to join Ellen Bryan and Kristen Berset-Harris to talk about VUIM CLINIC and the impact its work is having on DMV! Click the link below to watch the interview: https://lnkd.in/ezS5KmNq

Last week, Haley Parker, Lixing Lao, and I attended the 2025 International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health hosted this year in beautiful Seattle, Washington. This year, Virginia University of Integrative Medicine had the privilege of serving as a Sponsor of the #IMCongress, contributing to the wonderful learning opportunities and moments of connection the event offers to the leading practitioners, researchers, and Academic Medical Centers in attendance from across the globe who have been tasked with advancing all things integrative and #wholepersonhealth for their organizations. The time spent in Seattle also afforded the opportunity to visit with friends and colleagues from local #acupuncture programs in the state of Washington (Bastyr University and Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine), which was a treat. As expected, the week consisted of many opportunities to make new connections while continuing to foster meaningful conversations with mentors and colleagues in the space! Cheers to the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health team and here’s to all the wonderful work the members will facilitate between now and Park City, Utah next year #championsofwholehealth Aviad Haramati Richard T. Lee Iman Majd Michelle J. Bombacie Molly Candon Andrew Jang Ye-Seul Jennifer Lee Kathy Taromina Taryn De Sio Garber, M.Ed, MS,TTS Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine City of Hope Columbia University Irving Medical Center MS in Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences (IMHS)

Our President, Lixing Lao was interviewed for a recent Smithsonian Magazine article discussing the troubling connection between the illegal poaching trade and certain corners of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) marketplace where Herbal Medicines are produced. Pangolins, often cited as the world's most trafficked mammals, are extensively poached for their scales, which are mistakenly believed to have medicinal benefits in herbal medicine formulas — a claim not supported by scientific evidence. Unfortunately, the misconception has fueled widespread illegal trafficking across Africa and Asia, bringing pangolin populations to the brink of extinction. In the article, Dr. Lao highlights the pressing need for stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws and greater public awareness to combat the illicit trade and safeguard these unique creatures from going the way of the dodo bird. We appreciate Zach Theiler & Christina Vallianos for valuing the work of Dr. Lao and his colleagues. Most importantly, thank you for your work and advocacy on this important issue, Dr. Lao! Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ebf9WHt8

The #VUIM community (represented by CEO, John Yoo, Director of Clinical Operations, Haley Parker, and President Lixing Lao) is looking forward to reconnecting with all of our friends and colleagues from across the country at the 2025 International Congress of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health! It’s an honor to partner with the consortium for the first time this year and we look forward to learning about all the wonderful work happening across the country to advance Integrative Medicine and Whole Person health!

Last month, VUIM and its CEO, John Yoo had the distinct pleasure of hosting Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, JoAnne (Jo) Bass and her husband Rahn Bass for a visit to VUIM CLINIC at our Flagship campus in Northern Virginia. During her time in service to our country, Jo held the highest enlisted leadership position, where she provided guidance to the enlisted force and served as their advocate, representing their interests to the American public and all levels of government. As a trusted adviser to the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force, she played a vital role in addressing key issues related to the welfare, readiness, morale, and professional development of over 600,000 Total Force Airmen. Chief Bass made history as the 19th Chief Master Sergeant appointed to the Air Force’s highest noncommissioned officer position, serving as the first person of Asian-American descent to hold the highest senior enlisted position in the Air Force. As an institution, VUIM is deeply-committed to improving the care and quality of life for the Veteran and active military population of patients across the country. We look forward to learning from exceptional leaders - such as Chief Bass - to identify ways in which our University's community of faculty, students, and staff may be able to actively support the work already underway at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation and the various programs under the Defense Health Agency! Most importantly, thank you for your service JoAnne & Rahn Bass!

In this Year of the Snake, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day held special significance for our VUIM Community. On that Monday, January 20th our CEO, John Yoo and Dean of Strategic Initiatives, James Lee traveled down to the state capital of our home state - Richmond, Virginia - to advocate on behalf of the Acupuncture profession in our Commonwealth. The visit, coordinated by the Acupuncture Society of Virginia (where our own Haley Parker serves on the Board) and The Office of Senator Saddam Azlan Salim was the culmination of a true, coordinated, multi-month grassroots campaign that began in 2024 with the goal of presenting a bill to modernize the definition of the practice of Acupuncture while introducing a proposal to include comprehensive insurance coverage of Acupuncture in the state. Testimony provided by a patient of VUIM Clinic, members of Acupuncture Society of Virginia, and John Yoo were well received by the state’s Commerce and Labor?Committee; the?Committee?unanimously voted in support of moving this legislation to the?Health?Insurance?Reform Commission (HIRC) for?review. This is a significant milestone for the Acupuncture profession in Virginia, and should be celebrated! Special thanks to Jennifer Surjana Aeshah Sheikh, Nicholas Clemente and Matthew Stanley for their tireless work in supporting the development of the Acupuncture profession in our Commonwealth!

At the start of December, VUIM was gifted an early Christmas present in the form of an in-service training luncheon for the Athletic Training team of The George Washington University. The VUIM team met everyone from strength training coaches to Athletic Trainers and aspiring students studying to become Athletic Trainers of the future! The training presentation was led by Director of Clinical Operations, Haley Parker and discussions facilitated by CEO, John Yoo. Many thanks to Yeiwah Brewah, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine for GWU Athletics and Daisuke Sekine of the Athletic Training team for the invitation. We’re looking forward to all the future collaborations planned in the new year!

Last week, President Lixing Lao traveled to Beijing, China with John Yoo, Chief Executive Officer and Byung Kim, Chief Marketing Officer of VUIM to present at the 2024 World Conference on Traditional Medicine?co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the National Health Commission of China, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM), and the Beijing Municipal Government. In addition to his talk at the Conference, Dr. Lao and John also gave presentations to delegations at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences on the state of Acupuncture education and the Acupuncture profession in the United States. Thank You for your leadership in the field, Dr. Lao!

This past summer, VUIM's first cohort of study abroad students were sent to learn and experience all that Shanghai had to offer to graduate students of Acupuncture! Through our groundbreaking partnership with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM), this special group of students experienced hospital-based training at the newest Affiliated Hospital of SHUTCM and were introduced to unique, time-honored techniques from the internationally educated and globally renowned clinical professors of SHUTCM. Our President, Dr. Lixing Lao - a globally renowned graduate of SHUTCM - arranged a local production team to capture a glimpse of the VUIM student experience in Shanghai while capturing feedback from the students about their special time in city known as the "Paris of the East." Take a look! To all of our current students - get ready to join your classmates next year on this special cultural and learning experience! #latergram #shanghai #vuim #acupuncture #wholehealth #TCM #integrativemedicine #studyabroad?

Happy Veterans day! Today, we honor and thank all the veterans for their courage and sacrifice. #veteransday #thankyouveterans #vuimedu #vuimclinic #integrativewellness #wholehealth