Santa Cruz, CA – November 02, 2023 – Five Branches University, a leading institution for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) education, joined forces with the local Cabrillo College community to bring the healing power of TCM to the Fall Health Festival. Their booth was a bustling hub where students and visitors could experience the profound benefits of acupuncture and TCM.

Sydney Davis, a participant from Five Branches University, stated that the booth was “heavily trafficked” as they offered 15-20 minute community-style acupuncture treatments. This quick and accessible treatment targeted the participants’ chief complaints, providing them with a taste of the healing wonders of TCM.

One of the most striking revelations from the event was the number of students who had never experienced acupuncture. Many were unfamiliar with this ancient healing system. Kelly Zeng, a Five Branches student, highlighted the privilege of engaging with these students, dispelling myths, and sharing insights into the principles and practices that underlie TCM. Hence not only offering healing but also providing valuable education to the community about acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

The Cabrillo College Fall Health Festival was not just about health; it was an opportunity to explore the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. Dr. Mariposa Bernstein, the supervising faculty member, aptly summarized the experience as a “neat opportunity” for both Cabrillo College and Five Branches students as the event became a bridge connecting students to a world they may not have explored otherwise.

[apss-share]

What are we doing about it?

Recently our Five Branches Clinic in Santa Cruz was recognized by the Central California Alliance for Health for the treatment of pain. This means that Medi-Cal patients can get help to avoid the use of opioids by receiving acupuncture treatment at our Clinic in Santa Cruz.

This project started 2-3 years ago when our President and our Clinic Manager of our Santa Cruz Campus met with the leadership of Central California Alliance for Health to do a pilot clinical trial to show the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of pain. They wished to avoid the use of opioids when patients came to them with problems of pain. As opioid pain killers are addictive, this has become such a National problem, that President Obama has taken a keen interest and many have heard him speak publicly in towns where the problem is epidemic.

“The President made clear that addressing this epidemic remains a top priority for his Administration, and has escalated the fight against the epidemic (prescription drug abuse and heroin use) on three different fronts: expanding access to treatment, preventing overdose deaths, and increasing community prevention strategies.”

Helping the Santa Cruz Community

As a result our Five Branches Santa Cruz Clinic is receiving 10-15 new patients a day from referrals. The Alliance also increased the remuneration for these treatments from $17 to $34 per patient, and increased the number of visit a patient could use. The Central California Alliance for Health thanked us for accepting Medi-Cal and serving the health needs of our low-income community for decades, even with only a $17 remuneration.

This means that our patients can get acupuncture for pain treatment instead of using opioids.

We are upgrading our systems to more easily process our new patients. Soon Five Branches will be meeting with the Alliance leadership to facilitate this for our San Jose clinic.