Sam Soemardi L.Ac.

Sam is a licensed Acupuncturist. He graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) in Massachusetts in 2004. He has been practicing with The People’s Acupuncture of Asheville since 2008. Sam was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia. He currently lives in Candler with his sweet dog Pig.

Aimee Schinasi L.Ac.

Aimee is a licensed Acupuncturist. She graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in Portland, Oregon in 2005. She has been practicing with The People’s Acupuncture of Asheville since 2009. Aimee was born and raised in Chicago. She currently lives in West Asheville with her partner, Donnie, her dog Rudy and cat Raven. Habla Espanol! (Aimee is pronounced ‘uh-may’).

What is Community Acupuncture?

POCA Clinic

The People’s Acupuncture of Asheville is a proud member of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture since 2008.

The 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.
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POCA members work together to:

• Build healthy relationships, collaborate, and share knowledge among Acupuncturists, students, community Acupuncture clinics, 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.