Acupuncture Alumni Contribute Care to COVID Frontline Workers

Two acupuncture alumni designed a six-week pop-up clinic situated within walking distance of South Shore Hospital to provide pain, stress, and insomnia relief to frontline workers.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Gina Girouard MAC ’19, Clinical Director of Acutherapy for Healing Inc., and Jimmy Chung Duong MAOM ’15, Chief Clinical Officer of New England Wellness Solutions, saw an opportunity to help the frontline workers at a local hospital South of Boston. Together, they designed a six-week pop-up clinic situated within walking distance of South Shore Hospital to provide pain, stress and insomnia relief to frontline workers.

“Jimmy and I are both graduates of MCPHS University and are both clinical directors/acupuncture therapists in clinics on the South Shore,” said Girouard. “We chose to focus on South Shore Health Systems in Weymouth MA, as Jimmy has been a champion of the hospital for years, and is a Member at Large and Board Member (pediatric branch) of Friends of South Shore Health as well.”

The Board of Registration in Medicine Licensed acupuncturists provided 216 direct care hours at no cost to the overtaxed hospital workers who have been strained, physically and emotionally, by the pandemic. An ancient healthcare system of medicine practiced throughout most of Asia, acupuncture, is used to relieve a wide variety of symptoms. In an update video shared with the fundraiser, Duong showed off the pop-up clinic, a well-lit space set up with treatment tables and a soft soundtrack. “We are here to treat pain, stress, and PTSD,” he said, noting that the space allowed for social distancing.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive and as a result, a non-profit Eastern Medicine Responds! Inc. has been established as an acupuncture therapy clinic 100% dedicated to providing pain and stress relief to the hospital workers during COVID-19,” said Girouard, “These frontline health workers are experiencing the worst of the pandemic on a daily basis and putting their own lives at risk while trying to cope with the enormous stress of it all. We are answering the question, “Who will heal the healers?”

Interested in pursuing a career in acupuncture? Learn more about the programs at the New England School of Acupuncture within MCPHS.