Founded in January 2004 as the Virginia College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Virginia University of Integrative Medicine was established with a dual mission: to educate future practitioners in acupuncture and herbal medicine and to provide accessible, community-centered clinical care. From the outset, the institution was designed to respond to a growing demand for highly trained holistic medicine professionals while ensuring that education remained grounded in hands-on service to ... Read More
Founded in January 2004 as the Virginia College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Virginia University of Integrative Medicine was established with a dual mission: to educate future practitioners in acupuncture and herbal medicine and to provide accessible, community-centered clinical care. From the outset, the institution was designed to respond to a growing demand for highly trained holistic medicine professionals while ensuring that education remained grounded in hands-on service to the public.
As integrative healthcare expanded nationally, the institution evolved alongside the field. On March 23, 2018, it formally adopted the name Virginia University of Integrative Medicine (VUIM), reflecting a broader academic focus beyond East Asian Medicine and an expanded commitment to interdisciplinary, integrative healthcare education. Since that transition, VUIM has experienced steady institutional growth, expanding its educational footprint with additional campuses in Ridgefield, New Jersey in 2021 and Duluth, Georgia in 2022.
VUIM benefits from long-standing leadership with deep institutional knowledge. John Yoo, MBA, serves as Chief Executive Officer and has been a key leader for many years, having served on the Board of Trustees since 2010. In his current role, he oversees university operations, strategic expansion, and academic development. Dr. Lixing Lao, Ph.D., L.Ac., serves as President and Professor and is a recognized leader in acupuncture education and research. Dr. Lao has played a central role in shaping the university’s academic rigor and clinical training model.
As one of the only nonprofit holistic medicine universities—and the largest and fastest growing Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM)-accredited acupuncture school—VUIM plays a unique role in training a diverse, workforce-ready student body through accessible, affordable master’s and doctoral programs across campuses in VA, NJ, and GA. VUIM specializes in educational services for later-in-life students.
VUIM’s impact extends beyond education. Through our student clinic and community externships, we provide thousands of low-cost and pro bono treatments each year, including services for veterans at the East Orange Veterans Association and with partners such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and INOVA Peterson Life With Cancer Center. By integrating East Asian Medicine with modern clinical practice, VUIM strengthens both the healthcare workforce and community health outcomes. These specialized externships continue to grow year after year.
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