While the exact number of hospitals in the United States that offer acupuncture services or allow acupuncturists to treat patients isn't known, the number has steadily increased over the past decade. Two example of this increase in the spread of acupuncture are occurring at Winchester Hospital in Winchester, Massachusetts and St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
At Winchester Hospital, officials have reached an agreement with the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) that allows patients to be treated for a wide range of ailments. Treatments are delivered by third-year NESA interns, and are supervised by a clinical faculty member who is a licensed, experienced acupuncturist. The interns provide care on Saturday mornings and afternoons at the Winchester Community Health Institute in Woburn and the Winchester Family Medical Center in Wilmington.
At. St. Clare, meanwhile, work is underway on the construction of a new facility that will provide alternative treatments ranging from acupuncture to aromatherapy and hot stone massage. The building will be home to an urgent care clinic and a primary clinic, and is on schedule to be completed by Labor Day.
"We are hopefully going to offer the best of Eastern and Western traditions," St. Clare President Sandy Anderson said in an article in the Wisconsin Dells Events.
Anderson added that the new clinic will help residents by eliminating the need to travel to other parts of the state for care, and will reduce waiting times for patients in need of treatment.
References - St. Clare raises the roof on new $2.4m clinic. Wisconsin Dells Events, June 21, 2004.
- Winchester Hospital offers up acupuncture. Wilmington Advocate, June 23, 2004.
