Mission, Vision & Aims
People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (POCA) is a member-run 501(c)(6) non-profit organization whose mission is to work cooperatively to increase accessibility to and availability of affordable group acupuncture treatments. We envision a world in which every community has access to local, affordable acupuncture to reduce collective and individual suffering and nurture resilience.
POCA members work together to:
- Build healthy relationships, collaborate, and share knowledge among acupuncturists, students, community acupuncture clinics, Auricular Acu-technicians (AATs), patients and community members.
- Develop and support best practices for affordable acupuncture clinics.
- Create sustainable, enriching, living-wage jobs for the staff and owners of affordable acupuncture clinics.
- Create more equity in healthcare systems.
- Build alliances with organizations working to create equitable communities and sustainable, just economies.
- Work with regulators to ease entry into the acupuncture profession and engage with legislative processes to ensure safety and access are prioritized.
Community Acupuncture: The Calmest Revolution Ever Staged
This is the story of how a small group of loud-mouthed, over-educated, under-employed activists and a massive group of ordinary people with average incomes revolutionized healthcare systems by using large empty rooms, old recliner chairs, and two-cent needles.
Filmed & Directed by Brian Lindstrom. Co-produced by Moses Cooper, Jessica Feltz, Lisa Rohleder, Ellen Vincent & the CAN Board of Directors.