Open Care Community is an affordable alternative healthcare clinic offering acupuncture, herbal medicine, and body work. At Open Care Community, we believe that healthcare is a human right. We strive to make acupuncture and herbal medicine accessible to New Yorkers of all income levels.
At Open Care, patients can choose from a range of modalities and treatment options to ensure optimal care for their individual needs. Our experienced, licensed practitioners provide compassionate, judgment-free care in a safe, welcoming ADA accessible space.
Meet our Team
All of the acupuncturists at Open Care Community are licensed professionals practicing general medicine, meaning everyone here can treat a wide-range of issues.
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Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist (She, her) Originally from Western Maryland, Rachel is a DiaspoRican acupuncturist living in Brooklyn. Before her training in acupuncture, she worked as a health educator and patient navigator in HIV services at a community health clinic and did outreach on a mobile testing van. Primarily serving queer and trans sex workers and transient people, this experience solidified her view that centering the health needs of the most marginalized people means better care for everyone.
She learned about acupuncture while volunteering with syringe exchange programs in upper Manhattan and the Bronx and seeing how acupuncture was used for detox, PTSD, and stress. The history of radical/collective uses of acupuncture, harm reduction philosophy, and her witness to the opioid epidemic in her hometown inspired her to pursue learning acupuncture. All these influences continue to guide her practice. She received her Master of Science in Acupuncture and classical Chinese herbal medicine from Tri-State College of Acupuncture, and has worked in various community acupuncture settings since then, including Brooklyn Open Acupuncture and Third Root.
Rachel’s practice involves a combination of Chinese and Japanese points and styles, as well as trigger point release. She likes taking pictures of birds and doing prisoner support in her spare time.
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Licensed Acupuncturist (She, her) Kayla is a New York State licensed acupuncturist. Kayla was first introduced to acupuncture at ten years old to help treat migraines and digestive issues. Since then, she has been a regular patient, with acupuncture helping her in countless ways. Kayla decided to pursue a degree in acupuncture because of how it looks at the body holistically and can treat mind and body together.
Kayla received her Master's Degree in Acupuncture from the New York College of Health Professions. In her full-time job at a chiropractor’s office, Kayla primarily treats orthopedic conditions. She loves working on women’s health, mental health, migraines, headaches, insomnia and skin care.
Kayla is passionate about community acupuncture because it helps this medicine be more accessible to the people who need it. She is an empathetic practitioner who makes sure to listen to her patients concerns and make a personalized treatment plan so they can feel their best.
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Licensed Acupuncturist, Owner (She, her) Jenny has over a decade of acupuncture experience having practiced in various settings including The Center for Comprehensive Wellness at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, a high-end private acupuncture clinic called On-Point Acupuncture in Manhattan, and at two community clinics, Worksong Community Acupuncture and Brooklyn Open Acupuncture. She was a faculty member for 7 years at Tri-State College of Acupuncture and 1 year at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.
Jenny has treated hundreds of patients with wide ranging symptoms related to pain, fertility, digestion, anxiety, and more. She practices mainly Acupuncture Physical Medicine (APM) which incorporates traditional Vietnamese acupuncture with trigger point needling developed in the United States.
Previous to becoming an acupuncturist, Jenny taught ESL and Civics at New York City College of Technology where she collaborated with many non-profit organizations and NYC Dept of Education to develop programs to serve the immigrant population in Brooklyn.
Jenny received a Master of Science from Tri-State College of Acupuncture, a Masters in Education from NYU and a BA in Urban Studies from Yale University.
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Licensed Acupuncturist, Owner (She, her)
Beginning in mid-to-late June, Alice will be on maternity leave. To see a practitioner with a similar style, Alice recommends booking with Kayla.
Alice is originally from Pittsburgh and moved to New York City at age 18. Prior to becoming an acupuncturist, Alice worked in urban farming and as a community organizer. She is a huge lover of plants and being in the dirt, but promises to always wash the dirt off before coming inside to do acupuncture. She loves children and cats, and is the proud parent of the Open Care Community mascot, Mordechai.
Alice loves all the parallels between nature and acupuncture. She believes that people are actually a lot like plants - we need space, light, water and attention. As an acupuncturist, she listens deeply to her patients’ concerns and works with them to come up with the optimal treatment to meet their needs. She likes treating emotional issues, menstrual disorders, fertility and does facial rejuvenation and microneedling.
Alice received her Master of Science in Acupuncture from New York College of Health Professions in 2020 and her Bachelor's degree from the Gallatin School at NYU.
Meet The Receptionists
Samiha Mizan
Samiha is a current college student at Hunter studying Human Biology. She is a receptionist at Open Care Acupuncture, and brings a unique perspective to the role with her background as a Human Biology undergraduate major. She is dedicated to providing exceptional service, ensuring a smooth and welcoming experience for everyone who walks through our doors. She loves learning about new things and continues to learn the benefits of acupuncture as she works at Open Care.
Julep Poort
Julep is a current student at New York University studying chemistry, psychology and sustainable investing. She has two dogs and adores spending time with them more than anything. She loves working at Open Care and being a part of such a welcoming and inclusive community. She’s committed to making sure each patient feels at home.
