History of the School

The Asian Institute began in the summer of 2000 when Alex Holland, M.Ac., L.Ac., Linda Joy Stone, M.S., L.Ac., Leslie Romero, L.Ac., and Richelle Arsenault, M.B.A., C.G.F.M., decided to blend their expertise and energy towards the goal of developing a school of Traditional Chinese Medicine that took the principles of Mind/Body/Spirit to deeper levels of understanding. This vision formed the Asian Institute of Medical Studies (AIMS). We found a site for the school in a modern office complex with a beautiful courtyard located in Tucson at the foot of the Catalina Mountains.

The Asian Institute was approved by the State of Arizona Acupuncture Board of Medical Examiners on April 3, 2001 and was granted a provisional license by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education in May 2002 to offer our two masters level degrees: Master of Acupuncture (M.Ac.) and Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (M.A.O.M.). We achieved candidacy status with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) in November, 2003 and achieved full accreditation on September 6, 2006.

In addition to providing excellent academic programs, the Asian Institute has participated in research on a number of fronts. In 2005 we did a year long pilot study with the local VA hospital to study the effects of acupuncture on GERD. Also in 2005 we started working with the University of Arizona and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in an NIH funded study involving the effects of acupuncture on individuals suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction. In 2006 we started working with the International Rescue Committee studying the effects of acupuncture on individuals with PTSD.

The Asian Institute also has an ongoing relationship with the Program in Integrative Medicine (PIM) at the University of Arizona. Through this relationship, our students have been invited to participate in the PIM Patient Conference, a consortium of CAM practitioners who discuss cases and determine the best strategies for therapy. PIM Residents are also invited to shadow our students in the AIMS Community Clinic.

From its inception, the Asian Institute has had a strong focus on the continuing educational needs of the practitioners of Oriental Medicine in Arizona. To this end we provide a variety of continuing education workshops to our colleagues. We also have a Friday Night Forums, a series of public education talks for the general public about the benefits of TCM and other health related issues.

Within its short history, the Asian Institute has become well connected with the healing communities in the greater Tucson area. Our approach to service continues to foster strong, healthy and expansive relationships that benefit many hundreds of patients, students, and physicians.