Faculty and students connect with community at annual event, providing health support and resources.
The National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) was invited to participate in the third annual Oregon Chinese American Community Health Fair, which took place in March at the Embassy Suites in Tigard.
The event, dedicated to empowering the community with health knowledge and resources, was hosted by the Oregon Chinese Coalition (OCC) and focused on preventive care, holistic wellbeing, and culturally relevant health education.
Attendees were offered health screenings and educational sessions, along with opportunities to explore interactive exhibits aimed at addressing the physical and mental health needs of youth, families, and seniors within the Chinese American and broader communities.
OCC invited NUNM to join other healthcare sponsors, vendors, and volunteers at the event, recognizing the institution’s expertise in natural medicine, classical Chinese medicine, nutrition, and integrative healthcare.
Dr. Meg Chuang, a Chinese medicine practitioner, naturopathic doctor, and NUNM faculty member, oversaw the event booth alongside student volunteers from NUNM.
“I felt an immense sense of pride and hope seeing that NUNM continues to train and offer competent and compassionate future healthcare providers to different communities,” said Chuang, who earned her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization from NUNM in 2019.
She praised students for their patience, curiosity, and eagerness to learn as they communicated with attendees, many of whom had limited English proficiency, as well as their ability to effectively share their work.
“It was truly beautiful to see them interacting with other students representing medical schools such as OHSU,” she said, “exchanging their understandings and experiences with natural medicine.”
In promoting the event, OCC Board Members mentioned that Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM), which announced its closure in 2024, had been a key participant in previous years. They added that OCOM’s founders were originally faculty members at NUNM and expressed their hope for the university to continue OCOM’s legacy of providing valuable community services at future events.