updated 1.16.2024

The First Steps resource is a basic introduction to the stepping stones and ingredients you need to develop a good foundation before jumping into hospital-based practice,

Are you a student, educator, or integrative health practitioner interested in hospital-based practice?

If so, I recommend you start with our First Step resources. First Step resources include the following:

1. How to Get Your Foot in the Door of Healthcare System-based Practice e-book and workbook bundle. This is available for purchase on our website store.

2. The Tier 1 subscription to our community discussion platform. Subscription includes a copy of the e-book and workbook plus access to our Tier 1 discussion topics and resources.

First Steps focuses on students of acupuncture programs and clinicians with a master's or doctorate degree in acupuncture and traditional Asian medicine. However, many of the tenets apply to related integrative health clinical fields.

Defining "Hospital-based Practice"

• At the Society of Hospital and Healthcare System-based Acupuncturists, we define this as any work in a facility or organization that is accredited by or is eligible for accreditation by the Joint Commission (TJC). TJC is a nonprofit quality assurance and safety vetting organization based in the U.S. TJC accredits a variety of organizations, including hospitals, ambulatory centers/facilities, county clinics, FQHCs, federal health facilities, and some hospice organizations.

First Steps resources
The First Steps resource is tailored to the student, educator, or practitioner interested in hospital and healthcare system-based practice.

The e-book and workbook, authored by Megan Kingsley Gale, summarizes her advice for the questions she receives most often from those interested in getting started in healthcare system-based practice, including, “I want to work in hospital-based practice, how do I get my foot in the door?”

The community discussion forum brings together more voices in the healthcare system-based practice space. It includes articles, topic threads, discussion threads, and internal community events (synchronous and asynchronous). The community discussion platform is a subscription-based resource. All proceeds from the community forum and website store go to support the basic operating costs of the 501c3 nonprofit Society of Hospital and Healthcare System-based Acupuncturists.

Are you currently working in a healthcare system-based practice?

If you are a current hospital-based acupuncturist, whether a new hire or established at your workplace, we have developed a separate set of resources for you.

• Join the HHP community discussion platform at Tier 1 or Tier 2 “Big Bundle”

Tier 2 “Big Bundle” gets you access to the discussion platform and deep-dive resources. These resources get updated often. Please see the community platform landing page for current Tier 2 subscription benefits and access.

Thank you for supporting our not-for-profit community resource project by purchasing access to one or more of the above resources. If you would like to support this important resource and community-building work to continue, please donate today or buy something from our website store.

Thank you! 

 Megan

The Hospital Handbook Project for Acupuncturists and Their Hospital Sponsors is a program of the Society of Hospital & Healthcare System-based Acupuncturists, a nonprofit organization based in the U.S.A