Acupuncture Treatment Center Opens in Boston

Rob Halpin gets acupuncture treatment in his face. — Rob Halpin, MAC CHM ’26, receives acupuncture treatment from Tiffany Shao, MAC CHM '26. Both are NESA students completing an internship at the Acupuncture Treatment Center in Boston.

University News | 11/4/2025 Jennifer Persons

The New England School of Acupuncture facility offers hands-on learning for students—and hands-on healing for patients.

The reception area inside the new Acupuncture Treatment Center on the Boston campus is bright and clean. The walls are a crisp white, accented with warm wooden features around the front desk, a deep red feature wall in the waiting area, and a vibrant green moss sculpture hanging opposite the door. It’s a calm, quiet place to prepare for acupuncture treatment.

Just beyond this tranquil area, New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) student interns are bustling with activity. On this Tuesday, they prepare for another busy day treating students, faculty, and staff at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS).

“Most of my patients so far have never had acupuncture,” said Rob Halpin, MAC CHM ’26. “Here, there’s an opportunity for us, as student interns, to demystify what acupuncture is to a population that is hungry and enthusiastic for knowledge.”

The reception area of the Acupuncture Treatment Center on the Boston campus.

The Acupuncture Treatment Center has integrated another healthcare modality into Boston campus life. NESA students now work and learn alongside peers in dental hygiene, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, and more. They share the same goals: to promote health and wellbeing among the MCPHS Community.

Student interns say that in the first month the center has been open, they’ve seen rising interest and awareness of acupuncture and its benefits.

“My patients often say how much they enjoyed the treatment and that they’ll be back,” said Denise Mackey, MAC ’26. “We look for small incremental changes, so while we recommend a minimum of three appointments, patients can see quick results for stress or anxiety even with one treatment.”

Mackey has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare as a nurse. After experiencing acupuncture herself, she decided to go back to school to learn to care for people in a new way.

“I’m enjoying treating students here, specifically undergraduates,” she said. “I really believe that if I had been exposed to acupuncture earlier, it would have changed my perspective about how I cared for other people.”

A younger patient population has also presented new clinical challenges for the NESA interns.

“Our patients are presenting with a lot of issues we would expect to see in students, such as digestive upset born of stress,” Halpin said. “When our patients make regular appointments, we see them get better week to week because of acupuncture.”

Acupuncture supplies on a table — A NESA student intern prepares supplies for a private acupuncture treatment.

Like Mackey, Halpin found acupuncture later in his career. But unlike her, he did not come from healthcare. He had a leadership position at the MSPCA before turning his interest in healing into a career and joining NESA. “Seeing our patients improve makes us believe in acupuncture even more.”

The student interns offer two types of acupuncture: private and community style. The treatment center includes a dedicated room for community-style acupuncture. It includes eight state-of-the-art treatment chairs that recline, massage, and can be heated.

“Community acupuncture is a great introduction to acupuncture and is working really well in this environment,” said Anne Rohan, MAC ’26, giving a tour of the space. “It’s more convenient, and I’ve had patients come with their friends to experience acupuncture for the first time together.”

NESA students complete hundreds of clinical internship hours as part of their studies. They gain experience in a variety of care settings, from acupuncture centers to hospitals. Those assigned to the new treatment center say there’s something special about coming to work in Boston.

“I arrive for my shifts, and I’m surrounded by people in scrubs, whether they’re doctors or nurses or students like me,” Halpin said. “It’s exciting to feel like I’m with my people all the time.”

The Acupuncture Treatment Center is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Appointments are available exclusively for MCPHS students, faculty, and staff. To schedule a visit, please email acupunctureboston@mcphs.edu.