The Peoples’ Organization of Community Acupuncture
A NEW COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION
Established March, 2011
POCA is a nationwide multi-stakeholder cooperative consisting of more than 250 community acupuncture clinics and countless patients, community members, businesses, organizations, and students throughout the US (and beyond) who believe affordable acupuncture should be available to all people. At this writing, POCA clinics collectively gave over 1 million treatments last year.
POCA clinics, such as Purple Dragon, are social businesses that operate much like non-profit organizations with low overhead and community involvement. POCA’s cooperative structure creates a means for the direct involvement of patients in the process of governing the organization and their participation means that membership is a shared responsibility. Everyone is invited to be involved!
When you join POCA, your annual $25-100 (pay what you can) membership fee allows you to:
- Promote accessible and affordable acupuncture.
- Supports an international healthcare movement concerned with access to care and social justice.
- Help build POCA Tech – an affordable school for training community acupuncturists.
- Open new clinics in un-served communities through business micro-loans.
- Have a say in how our coop does things. Every voice and vote matters. Join a POCA circle (committee), vote in the annual elections, be counted and heard.
- Create more living-wage jobs for acupuncturists and support staff.
- Volunteer at local clinics and in the larger organization.
- Support a working model for sustainable, ethical, and affordable healthcare practice.
Every POCA member receives these benefits:
- A Free birthday treatment each year.
- Three “free first treatment” certificates for your friends and family. – good at any POCA clinic. Introduce friends and family to community acupuncture.
- Sticking Together – our e-newsletter.
- Waiving new patient fees at POCA member clinics.
- Access to online discussion forums to connect with punks and other patients.
As a member of the Purple Dragon Community Acupuncture POCA clinic you will receive these additional benefits at our clinic:
- $10 treatments during the months of May and October.
- Three “free first treatment” cards for your friends and family. – good at Purple Dragon only.
- Free treatments on Member appreciation days
- Valentine’s Day (because we love you!) – February 14th
- International Day of Cooperatives – First Saturday in July (Friday this year due to Sat. holiday)
- Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day – October 24th
- Opportunities to volunteer at our clinic
