Welcome Comrades!

Working Class Acupuncture's mission is to use acupuncture to create social change in health care. We provide, and advocate for others to provide, accessible acupuncture for working class patients; we support acupuncturists in being social entrepreneurs; and we share our business model for natural health care that empowers patients, builds community and breaks down class divisions.

Our sliding scale is $15 - $35 per treatment.* You decide what you can afford. Working Class Acupuncture strives to make acupuncture affordable for you to come as often and for as long as needed in order to feel better!

Work Class Acupuncture Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used systems of healing in the world. Acupuncture is simple, safe, and sustainable healthcare. As acupuncture has moved more toward the mainstream in America, it has become prohibitively expensive for most people, but this trend does not have to continue.

Acupuncture does not need to be expensive to be effective. Acupuncture can be part of the solution to the soaring cost of healthcare – if it is affordable and accessible to everybody. Working Class Acupuncture makes this possible.

Two for Tuesdays

Tag along with - or drag in- a friend, family member, neighbor, co-worker....as long as it's a first time visitor, they are FREE on Tuesdays.  Please call to make an appointment at the Working Class Acupuncture Clinic near you...go to the "Our Clinic" tab for contact information. 

Recession? What Recession? WCA Opens Second Location in Hillsdale



 

((more pics of WCA Hillsdale in progress at bottom of this blog)) 

 

 

Dear Comrades,

 

We are, as usual, defying the status quo by expanding just when lots of other businesses are contracting. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our second WCA clinic in the Hillsdale neighborhood, across the river on Portland’s west side.  We are hoping to be ready to see patients there by April 20th.

 

The address: 4410 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, just about 1.5 miles down the road from the Hillsdale Shopping Center and Food Front, next to Cactus Jack’s and Hillside Imports: we’ll be hanging a banner off the building next week!

 

The phone number: 503-244-7525 after April 13th, which is when the phone gets hooked up

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why now? And why Hillsdale?

 

We have been wanting to open a west side clinic for a long time, because we have noticed that the majority of our acupuncture “regulars” live in roughly a 5 mile radius.  That makes sense -- driving a long way to get acupuncture is not great, not when you are stressed out already, definitely not when you are in pain, and also not when gas prices are high. We have been encouraging lots of other acupuncturists to adopt our business model, and by our count there are now eight other community acupuncture clinics on Portland's east side. That's wonderful! However, there is absolutely nothing on the westside in terms of community acupuncture, and we have people driving to see us from Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, and even Forest Grove. We would like to provide better service to those patients, which means getting closer to them.

 

Back in December,  our friend Joseph Goldfedder told us that he was going to be leaving his partnership with Maria Perez at Brooklyn Community Acupuncture and would be moving to Hillsdale. He said that he would probably be starting his own community clinic in Hillsdale. We saw an opportunity to hire an experienced community acupuncturist who would be living in the community we wanted to serve, and so we talked Joseph into becoming a WCA employee.

 

Who will be working there?

 

Besides Joseph, we have also hired Kathy Keane, LAc. to join the Hillsdale team. 

 

What are the hours?

 

We are trying to replicate WCA Cully’s hours as closely as possible, and we will expand these hours as we get busy!

 

Tues, Weds, Thurs: 9 am to 7 pm (last appointment at 7 pm)

Friday: 9 am to 6 pm

Saturday: 9 am to 3 pm

Sunday: 9 am to 1 pm

Monday: 3 pm to 7 pm

 

Tell us all about the location! We know you are dying to talk about it!

 

We signed a 5 year lease on what we think is a LOVELY little freestanding building. ( A number of people have told us that only WCA would think this building is lovely.)  But really, we think it’s perfect. It has great visibility, abundant parking,  and the landlord has done a major remodel for us, including ADA bathrooms and new heating and airconditioning.

 

We think we can fit anywhere from 16 to 20 recliners into the three treatment rooms, which means that in the long run we will be able to have two acupuncturists working there at a time, just the way we do at WCA Cully.

 

 

Do you need anything? Can we help?

 

Yes! We need recliners, for one thing. Please call or email if you have a recliner that needs a new home! 

 

We will definitely need help with painting, but right now we are waiting on lots of different contractors to finish the remodel before we can schedule anything. Please stay tuned!

 

And of course, the biggest thing we need, as always, is help getting the word out. If you know people on Portland’s west side who need acupuncture, please tell them we’re going to be there!

 

Thanks to all of our patients and friends for their constant support and enthusiasm. Without you we would never even think of trying to  do this.

 

And remember, Friday, May 1st is May Day, International Worker’s Day. Working Class Acupuncture will be celebrating May Day with live music, tea, and FREE ACUPUNCTURE ALL DAY AT BOTH LOCATIONS!

 

Soon to be reception area sign waiting for the fistsoon to be treatment space transition room from reception to treatment front treatment room staff area Lisa and Skip working...Lupine, uh, watching

Creative Arts for Creating Health

 Working Class Acupuncture has succeeded far beyond everyone's expectations because of only one thing -- the continual support of our patients. This support comes in so many creative ways: patients not only coming in regularly for acupuncture, but finding ways to bring in family members and friends; not only having a "favorite chair", but even bringing us recliners; not only telling everyone who will listen about how great acupuncture is, but getting us into the newspaper and on TV. Kari-Sita's loving, whimsical interpretation of acupuncture needles as wearable art is the latest proof that Working Class Acupuncture's patients are the smartest, most imaginative, most supportive, and in general the best patients any clinic could ever have. The community acupuncture revolution is succeeding because of you.

 A Personal Statement From Kari-Sita:

I have been many things in my short life -- a preschool teacher, a homesteader, a high school honor role student and a college dropout. In the last few years, I have also become a cancer survivor and an artist.

Some days I am all of these things, other days none; each day reveals itself differently and I am learning to flow from one thing to the next. Acupuncture at Working Class Acupuncture has become part of my journey by helping me better learn how to be present in my body while allowing me to participate in my own healing.  There are other places I could go to get this kind of treatment, but being a patient at this clinic allows me to be part of a larger idea; that of affordable healthcare, community connection and sustainable living. In that spirit, I have begun to create earrings out of acupuncture needles, one-of-a-kind pieces of art that are to me a way to further enrich the relationship between practioners and patients. Hopefully these creations will further the cause of the "quietest revolution ever staged" and serve to remind us that we are all individual expressions of a greater whole.

To find out more about my story and my art, go to www.supportacancersurvivor.org

Peace... always,

Kari-Sita

 acupuncture needles earrings

 

Acupuncture Needle Earrings Available for $25/pair with 1/2 the proceeds

going towards opening another Working Class Acupuncture Clinic

and can be purchased here, on our online store, at Working Class Acupuncture, or through Kari-Sita's website. 

Upcoming October Revolution

As many of you know (because we may have come knocking in your very own town), we at WCA have been flying all over the country in order to bullyrag other acupuncturists, I mean, teach workshops about our business model.  This kind of travel is lots of fun, but we get even MORE excited to teach in our very own town of Portland.  We get to offer visiting folks treatment at "the mothership", which is such an easy way to start out a workshop and quell any doubts they might have about community acupuncture.  We get to be surrounded by our fabulous staff and, thanks to one of those folks, Christine, we have found the perfect place to conduct our workshops:  Liberty Hall, also known as the home of the IWW (pdx.iww.org) is where the stage is set for action...and for the upcoming October Revolution!

On October 23, 2008, the event will kick-off with the Annual Meeting of the Community Acupuncture Network's Board (www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org), where the meeting of the minds (they owe me for saying that) take place to shape and support this fledgling organzition as it grows (over 300 members strong!) and becomes a force to be reckoned with in the world of accessible health care.  In the afternoon of this day, a tour of local community clinics on the "Yes, we're CAN!" 2008 Clinic Bus Tour.  Interested in hopping on a bus full of L.Ac.'s to tour the variety of community clinics, hear valuable info about them, have a few snacks/beverages on board...and from what I hear, some GREAT entertainment too???  Well, join the fun.....

The next two days, October 24 & 25 are full with the workshop:

DAY ONE

Part One:  “Fundamental Definition of Community Acupuncture” - 8:30am-12:30pm   Working Class Acupuncture, in Portland, Oregon has the mission of using acupuncture to create social change in health care by providing, and advocating for others to provide, accessible acupuncture for working class patients.  WCA also provides technical assistance to acupuncturists who want to make their practices accessible to patients who don’t have insurance.  This is not about free clinics, alcohol and drug treatment, or becoming a social service agency.  It’s a low-cost, high-volume business strategy designed to make health care affordable.

Part Two:  “Nuts & Bolts of the Working Class Acupuncture Business Model” - 1:30 -5:30pm   Attendees will have enough ideas, information, forms, and structural guidelines to shape and develop their practice around a sustainable business model.  Marketing material ideas, sliding scale, business structure, office tracking and tools will all be covered.  Focus on the who, the how and the why of your business.  Learn how to leverage resources and work to organize outreach in your community.  Get your patients to help you.  Learn how not to be the Lone Ranger.  Examine your idea of “the perfect patient” – the reasons you can (or cannot) attract those people. 

DAY TWO

Part Three:     Jingei Pulse Diagnosis - 8:30-12:30pm  

Jingei pulse diagnosis is an ancient form of pulse reading that has its origins in the Ling Shu, Chapter Nine:  “The Beginning and the End.”  Used specifically to find the root channel of a patient’s illness, Jingei (the term is Japanese for the point Stomach nine) uses a simple comparison of the pulse of the wrist and neck.  It can then be used as the basis of a point prescription that cuts to the heart of a patient’s illness, saving much time in formulating effective treatments.  Use this simple comparison of the pulse of the wrist and neck to be used as the basis of a point prescription that cuts to the heart of a patient’s illness, saving much time in formulating effective treatments.  Learn the ancient pulse diagnosis technique, Nei Jing Ling Shu, Chapter 9 to diagnose the root channel to treat in a patient.  

Part Four:     Advanced Techniques in Community Acupuncture - 1:30-5:30pm  

–Nuts and Bolts of a High Volume Treatment Model; Treat Anything in a Recliner

Participants will gain hands on experience.  In this course, practitioners will learn how to effectively and confidently use Jingei as well as its theory and history in their practiceLearn how to treat anything and everything in a recliner…..                   

Sliding scale for workshop:      $250 - $350    OR     $125 - $175 (for students)

14 CEUS through NCCAOM for two full days of training.

Please email lupine@workingclassacupuncture.org with any questions or register, here, online for the October Revolution.

As we tend to say a lot around here.....

Acupuncture Can Change the World

Thank You, Portland Monthly Magazine!

WCA made the list of Portland Monthly Magazine's "Best of the City", 2008! See the August issue for the story, plus a great picture of our acupuncturist John and receptionist Carolyn.