Advancing Chinese Medicine Through Partnerships
Northwestern looks beyond the traditional boundaries of our profession to bring into the mainstream acupuncture and Chinese medicine. To this end, we have developed a diverse portfolio of partnerships with conventional healthcare providers.
These partnerships have resulted in:
- New patient populations gaining access to the benefits of Chinese medical treatment
- New career opportunities opening up for our graduates
- Greater integration of our services into modern healthcare systems
Hospital and healthcare systems
Abbott Northwestern Hospital – Penny George Institute for Health and Healing
Our student internship in this integrative care program increases the depth of our students' training. Interns are supervised by hospital acupuncturists—many of them Northwestern graduates.
University of Minnesota Medical Center – Fairview Hospital
Our internship experience has expanded into a major teaching hospital as the result of this collaboration.
Woodwinds Hospital
In addition to establishing student internships, an early residency program resulted in permanent paid staff positions for our graduates.
Social service agencies
Pillsbury House Integrated Health Clinic
We helped pioneer a program in which our student interns deliver acupuncture to an underserved community. They work side-by-side with medical students, nursing students and psychology interns to provide integrated care.
The Aliveness Project
Our interns provide acupuncture services to patients with HIV/AIDS. This is one of our longest-running commitments to enhancing public health with acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
Salvation Army Harbor Light Natural Care Center
Northwestern student interns provide acupuncture to homeless and chemically dependent adults. We expanded our commitment to community service through this internship.
Rehabilitation centers
Courage Center
Student interns from Northwestern provide acupuncture to patients with brain and spinal cord injuries in one of the nation’s premier rehabilitation centers.
Volunteers of America – Edina Care and Rehabilitation Center
A clinical internship where our students provide care to geriatric patients. This was an outgrowth of a research project by VOA and Northwestern’s Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies.
Universities
University of Minnesota
Our students work with medical students delivering integrative care at a community clinic. Medical school students also come to our campus and observe Chinese medicine demonstrations as part of their training.
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine – China
Our students, faculty and top administrators travel to China to learn how Chinese medicine is practiced in the Chinese healthcare system.
