Planting Seeds

Planting Seeds

I gave a talk about CA at my acupuncture alma mater last December. I knew that one of the secrets of success in the WCA model is Jingei pulse diagnosis so decided to teach it if the students were interested. Then the word got out to the local L. Acs. and I thought I should offer them Nuts & Bolts. A bunch of people came to my clinic to observe this new business model and I found that wasn’t working as my patients were trying to take care of the observers. So I put together a conference similar to the one I went to at WCA. I added treating the participants so they could see the flow and I could stop having observers.

By June, there were 10 CA clinics in the Twin Cities area, 7 of which were a direct result of those talks, classes or conferences. Two more are starting in Duluth, MN soon and two more small clinics and one large one in the Twin Cities area will be on the next list. That feels really good to me! Not only am I treating people in my own clinic, I’m helping many more people get care while promoting acupuncture and helping acupuncturists with their businesses. What a high to be able to do this!

Many of our clinics are small. L Acs are locked into leases, having kids, starting at home, etc. I wanted to visit all the clinics before I wrote this, but it is summer in Minnesota so everyone is crazy busy. Many of the L. Acs belong to CAN. Some of them don’t. All of the clinics have sliding scales very similar to the one at WCA.

An alphabetical tour of our clinics by city follows. The first 7 are suburbs of Minneapolis. River Falls, WI is within an hour of the Twin Cities. Duluth, MN is on Lake Superior as is Washburn, WI.

Anoka: This one is mine. I now have 7 chairs and one table and am eagerly waiting for my friend Karen Westensee who does massage and healing touch to join me later this month. I am scheming for a large clinic next summer. And I am now seeing 40-45 a week!

Ann Mongeau, RN, L. Ac.
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
2150 Third Ave. N., Suite 350
Anoka, MN 55303
763-300-9811
www.nwtwincitiesacupuncture.com

Apple Valley: Terry Ellingsworth has a hybrid with 4 chairs and two tables in the southeast metro. She is collaborating closely with her local food Coop which is in the neighborhood. She was my classmate and heard I was into CA so she asked me about it, came to Jingei, took a Nuts & Bolts handout and started her CAP.

Terri Ellingsworth, L. Ac.
DeQi Chinese Medicine Center
13335 Palomino Drive #202
Apple Valley, MN 55124
952-432-4353

Edina: Kerri Casey has our premier large clinic with 16 chairs near the center of the metro. She was at the talk I gave in December, graduated soon after that and got to work. A Jingei class in MN in January, a conference in Portland in February and by April, she was open. She is getting lots of referrals from her BNI group.

Kerri Casey, L.Ac.
Minnesota Community Acupuncture
5500 Lincoln Dr., Suite 160
Edina, MN 55436
952-746-3478
www.minnca.com

Excelsior: Kelly McBride knows Kerri Casey and heard about the talk I gave at school. She came to the early MN classe and converted a room in a chiropractor’s office into a 5-chair clinic. I saw this space when it was a gleam in her eye and already she was thinking about expansion.

Kelly McBride, L.Ac., Dipl O.M.
McBride Healing Community Acupuncture
464 Second St., Suite 200
Excelsior, MN 55331
952-474-4121 for appointments
952-250-4460 cellular
mcbridehealing@yahoo.com
www.mcbridehealing.com
(under construction)

Golden Valley: Rebeka Ndosi has made great use of the space in the basement of her split-level home for a 4-chair clinic and an office for consultation. Her best marketing tip is to work at the local coffee shop! She knows everyone in the community. Rebeka would love to go in with others in a large clinic.

Rebeka Ndosi, L.Ac., Dipl Ac., MSOM
Community Acupuncture
Locations: Minneapolis and Golden Valley
612-327-2094
info@myhealingcooperative.com
www.myhealingcoorperative.com

Dinkytown – Minneapolis: Paul Arllen and John Falls have a start up space near the U of M campus with 4 chairs, a massage chair and one table. They are offering herb consults and acupuncture. I mentioned Lisa’s articles to John at an herb seminar last Feb. and he took it from there.

John Falls, L. Ac. and Paul Arllen, L. Ac.
The Qi Lounge, LTD
U Tech Building
1313 5th St SE Suit 306
Minneapolis, MN 55414
John Falls 612-721-6653
Paul Arllen 612-623-8839

St. Louis Park: Mats Sexton is having a great time explaining that he’s not really a communist to his patients in his 6-chair clinic in the central metro. Mats found WCA and me about the same time. He combines his love of comedy and improv with acupuncture and video. Really. Check out his web site.

Mats Sexton, L. Ac.
The People’s Republic of Acupuncture
4601 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 503
Minneapolis, MN 55416
952-922-2141
www.peoplesrepublicofacupuncture.com

St. Paul: Eileen McKenzie was a student at that first talk I gave. She graduated, came to my classes, helped with the first MN conference and opened her clinic. She is now running a 3-chair clinic with volunteer receptionists from her order in St. Paul.

Eileen McKenzie, RN, L.Ac.
FSPA Holistic Healing
WomanWell Spirituality Center
1784 La Crosse Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55119
612-270-2924
emckenzie@fspa.org

St. Paul: Anna Perry and Susan Gillette have had a good private practice in St. Paul but heard about CA and wanted to offer it. They are starting with 3 chairs in one room of their clinic and offering CA to students from the local college near by one day a week.

Anna Perry L. Ac. Susan Gillette, L. Ac.
Crocus Hill Oriental Medicine
1032 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
651-227-6865

River Falls, WI: Gail Behr and I met at the same herb conference where I talked up CA to John Falls. We reconnected in Portland at the first WCA conference. Gail has teamed up with an occupational therapist in a 4-chair and one sofa clinic in a town close to the Twin Cities.

Gail Behr,MSAOM, LAc, Dipl. O.M. (NCCAOM)
Eclectic Energetics Resource Collaborative Ltd
N7915 902nd St Suite B River Falls, Wi 54022
715-425-8365
www.EclecticEnergetics.com

Clinics in the works:

Duluth MN: Heidi LaBore Smith plans to open a CA in September. Kristy Jensch from Washburn WI also will open a CA in Duluth in September.

Seward Neighborhood – Minneapolis: Katherine and Tomas Flesher are working on a 12 to 15-chair clinic due to open in September.

Detroit, MI: Linda Harris came to the May conference in MN and is working on a clinic in Detroit.