Sharon Johnson-Eby, owner of An Medi-Zen, poses for her portrait in Greenville, Miss., on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Sharon Johnson-Eby uses cupping therapy on her client, Myesha Stovall, at her business, An Medi-Zen, in Greenville, Miss., on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Johnson-Eby integrates Eastern and Western medicine to address local health disparities, offering services such as acupuncture, cupping therapy and herbal medicine.

Sharon Johnson-Eby uses cupping therapy on her client, Myesha Stovall, at her business, An Medi-Zen, in Greenville, Miss., on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

Inspired by the success she found with acupuncture for her own asthma and acid reflux, Johnson-Eby earned a master’s degree in 2018 and a doctorate in 2019 from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Chinese Medicine.

“I got treated in the beginning of that first year of grad school for asthma and acid reflux,” Johnson-Eby said. “It basically changed everything for me.”

She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine in La Jolla, California. She is licensed in Minnesota and Mississippi and is board-certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

“I love Chinese medicine because we treat mind, body and spirit, and that’s something Western medicine might be missing.”

She moved from Bloomington, Minn. to Greenville in 2023 to be closer to her aging mother.

Supported by Delta State University’s Women’s Minority Business Incubator Program,  Johnson-Eby emphasizes community outreach and education. At a wellness fair, she discovered that the local school district’s health care plan did not cover acupuncture and has since advocated for its inclusion with the insurance company.

“I’ve been working to highlight not just the benefits of acupuncture, but also its potential to improve overall health outcomes and reduce long-term health care costs. It’s about ensuring that everyone has access to the full spectrum of care they deserve.”

Johnson-Eby’s specialties include respiratory health, dermatology, mental health, and overall wellness using Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques. Driven by a childhood aspiration to become a doctor and in memory of a late friend, she plans to develop a comprehensive wellness center to integrate holistic practices into mainstream health care and address issues such as obesity, hypertension, and mental health.