A brilliant colleague once opined that POCA clinics approach providing acupuncture treatments like a public utility;
That is, work to keep access to it on as often as possible, while figuring out how to provide it to those who cannot ordinarily afford it.
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Open every day of the year in Manchester along with ever- expanding hours in Nashua, NH, MAS is here for you.
Another way to look at the Dark Days of Winter is to not focus on the diets, cleanses and 30-day challenges, but to instead get warm and quiet. Winter is a great time to pause and reflect. Consider moving with the pace of nature. Slow down. Hibernate.
....Just a thought....
We're offering free acupuncture treatments to federal government employees and their families affected by the unfortunate current government shutdown.
Call to make appointments if you haven't been to our clinics previously, or just come right in if you have.
"If you are considering acupuncture, ask people you trust for recommendations," says this worthwhile article that just came out in the Chicago Tribune, recently.
'Acupuncture growing in popularity for variety of medical conditions'
At MAS, we pick and choose our advertising targets carefully. At the same time, it is a truism that word-of-mouth is the bedrock of our marketing over the past 12 years.
I'm remembering when all the school bus drivers from a nearby town started showing up for treatments around the same time. They were hearing about MAS from one another.
Over the years more and more people have found out the benefits of acupuncture through affordable, community clinics. They tell (and show) their doctors and other health providers that acupuncture is helping them. Now a few times a week, new patients will tell us that they heard about us from their doctor or their doctor suggested for them to give acupuncture a try. Word travels, indeed.
10 years ago, WMUR's NH Chronicle produced a piece for their long-running local show on the new sliding-scale, community acupuncture facility that had opened right down the street from their offices in the millyard in Manchester. At that time, Manchester Acupuncture Studio was just a year old, and much of the focus of that episode was on our lone owner/full-time acupuncturist. Fast forward to June of 2018, MAS is a 501(c)3 non-profit, boasting a Board of Directors, two clinic locations, a staff of 13 employees and 5 full-time acupuncturists along with thousands of people who can confidently speak from the perspective of seasoned recipients of acupuncture treatments.
In order to update viewers, NH Chronicle got together a follow-up production with the focus largely from a patient's perspective.
We're happy to share it with you here.
Why is MAS now a non-profit?
MAS has always existed for one purpose only: to provide acupuncture to as many people as possible while supporting sustainable jobs for its workers.
In other words, MAS has been provided for by staff and patients.
The decision to change the legal structure of the business from a for-profit to a non-profit was based on several different factors. As it turns out, all of them in the interest of providing MAS an opportunity to continue to do its work for decades to come, while not relying on a particular person or persons to make this possible, legally speaking.
The goal of the organization has been to serve the public by providing acupuncture services and not endeavoring to amass an excess of money. MAS blossomed as a for-profit social businesses. Over the past few years, it's become clear this social business will be better served in the long run if recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit by the IRS. This allows for the varied expertise and capital of many parties to continue to push MAS forward in its mission.
Simply put, MAS has grown too big to rest on one owner's shoulders.
It now rightfully belongs to all of us – patients, staff and the public in general.
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So let's make a few things clear. Here is what won't be changing:
- The sliding-scale. $15-$35. The basic math stays the same – we charge as little as we can, haven't raised prices in 10+ years, and have no plans to do so.
- The Staff, front desk and acu-punks. We will all continue to be here, happy to be working!
- The overarching mission of MAS: ongoing work to expand availability of acupuncture in Manchester & Nashua-area communities by increasing clinic hours and bringing on additional qualified, passionate acupuncturists.
- Membership and affiliation with POCA (The People's Organization of Community Acupuncture)
Here's what will be changing:
- MAS is now overseen by a terrific, thoughtful and wonderful Board of Directors, made up of MAS patients and staff.
- Former owner Andy Wegman now works as the Executive Director, continuing to manage day-to-day operations as well as continuing with full-time acupuncture at MAS.
- We can now accept donations in cash or kind, that are entirely tax-deductable. Donations are welcome throughout the year. On the donation front, you will see and hear much more about our upcoming efforts to secure a permanent home under our control, for MAS Manchester - and with your help!
- We can begin endeavoring to pursue outside funding for the purpose of opening up the availability of acupuncture to people who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to use it. An example of this is our recent partnership with the VA in Manchester.
On behalf of the entire MAS Staff & Board of Directors, Thank You for your trust in us and thank you for your business. We look forward to being here with you for a long, long time to come.
Onward,
Andy Wegman, Executive Director @ MAS
Manchester Acupuncture Studio was established in 2007 in the millyard of Manchester, NH. It’s hard to believe ten years have gone by already, but here we are, ten years in and 200,000+ acupuncture treatments later! We have certainly grown from our start in a single treatment room on the ground floor of Stark Mill. From hiring more talented acupuncturists and front desk workers, doubling our treatment space a few years later, having a hand in launching POCA (the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture), opening a second MAS clinic in Nashua and then steering the Manchester clinic to our current terrific home two-plus years ago, it's been an honor to take part in this work. It has been our pleasure to meet so many excellent people in the clinic and around towns, becoming a part of the communities of Manchester and Nashua whom we serve.
The story of MAS is quite simple: endeavoring to offer affordable acupuncture as often as we are able. We are in the final stages of becoming a non-profit, and we have always run our business in a way that places our patients and accessible acupuncture at the forefront. It's been a great ride, and we are all looking forward to continuing to be present and available to you for years more to come.
In this spirit, we welcome all to join us on Saturday, June 3rd in Manchester & Nashua during normal clinic hours for a mellow celebration of 10 years’ worth of Manchester Acupuncture Studio and affordable acupuncture in Southern New Hampshire with FREE acupuncture and light refreshments. Bring a friend and put your feet up, on us. We hope to see you there.
Several of our colleagues and their clinic-goers got this terrific video together on the topic of Community Acupuncture. Enjoy it.
