Sharing Acupuncture with the community: joining Shepherd’s Hope and the many healthcare providers donating their time and services.

VOLUNTEERING AT SHEPHERD’S HOPE

Since 2018, Aisa Yamaguchi Acupuncture has been providing acupuncture care at the downtown free clinic for the uninsured. Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) kindly hosts Shepherd’s Hope in their facility several evenings each week and is all volunteer-based. Its amazing to see the number of volunteers that continue to donate their time, and has been a great non-profit organization to be a part of.

Shepherd’s Hope, Downtown Orlando Health Center is the first facility within their network that provides acupuncture for patient-care and we continue to encourage more Acupuncture Physicians to join the efforts in the future. Up until the end of March 2020, pre-covid 19 restrictions, the clinic was open and seeing patients in the Orlando community. Hopefully when the clinic resumes, we can continue donating acupuncture services again. They are anticipating more people will need their services with unemployment on the rise and are working hard to meet the higher demand thru telehealth appointments.

Beyond Membership: Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA)

Continuing Education & supporting Acupuncture:

Honored to be selected to join the Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA) Continuing Education Committee, active participant of this committee since 2017. Tasked with this volunteer position to be an integral part of the selection/evaluation of potential speakers for the annual FSOMA Conference held every August. A bulk of the volunteer time is spent reviewing speaker applicant resumes, presentation materials, and speaking their professional references from all over the country. Its been a unique way to learn about the brilliant minds and accomplished practitioners in the field of Eastern Medicine.

Each November, this committee begins to meet on several occasions to discuss what FSOMA members are most interested in, who presented well, who we’d like to invite back based on factors like previous year’s conferences and getting in touch with them. Other responsibilities include reviewing continuing education courses to be offered through the organization throughout the year. Much of this work is done behind the scenes, but none the less, important work for this non-profit professional organization that represents Acupuncture and Eastern Medicine for the entire state of Florida. Every year, Aisa Yamaguchi Acupuncture donates to FSOMA’s ongoing Legal Defense Fund to help cover the legal expenses to protect the Acupuncture profession and practitioners ability to practice in Florida.