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Regional
A Sustainable Healthcare Model: Urban Remedy Acupuncture
by Chrysalis Hyon, MA
Eric Baumgartner is a third generation doctor, father of three preschoolers, and the founder of Urban Remedy Acupuncture, an innovative community clinic located in Venice, CA. From the very inception of Urban Remedy, Baumgartner had sustainability in mind with a “green medical model” of community care. His vision has yielded a beautiful 1,400 square-foot acupuncture treatment space that resembles a well-designed living room, complete with plush recliners, tasteful aesthetic design, and a wood burning fireplace. With soft, calming music playing in the background, a patient relaxes back into one of the recliners for his or her individual treatment. The presence of others being treated simultaneously is understood to raise the general healing vibration of the room. With his very unique clinic model, Baumgartner shared some insights on sustainability, from interior design to healthcare delivery.
Vision Magazine: Can you describe the green model you had in mind when you created Urban Remedy Acupuncture?
Eric Baumgartner: One of the most important things about being green is using recycled items and the community turned out to be one of the best parts of creating a green space. Though you wouldn’t know it from our clinic’s polished look, all of the furnishings were either donated or already used in some way. We just weren’t about spending a ton of money to create an artificially green environment. So we reached out to the community to see what resources we already had to work with. The space is not 100 percent plastic-free or biodegradable, but I actually spent very little money furnishing it. I didn’t have to use many resources other than the community itself.
In addition to utilizing donated or recycled items, the other major component involved bringing in green life. So there are lots of plants in the space. They soften the energy and provide an organic environment—right in the middle of a busy urban thoroughfare. When people think about the doctor’s office, they usually don’t think of it as a place to hang out. Conventional medical facilities are more about sterility, but they leave you feeling like you can barely breathe. So, having flora fostering life and clean air within the space was important to our green medical model. The homey atmosphere makes you feel like coming regularly. You start feeling health as soon as you arrive.
VM: Were there any challenges or obstacles you had to overcome in the building’s design?
EB: The unit we moved into was originally a residential space, so I would say that making it into a communal space was probably the greatest challenge. There wasn’t any office room, but there was a really nice modern kitchen already in the front area. So the question became, how do we make a kitchen into an office space? We put all the supplies and our computer equipment in the cabinets and cupboards, and the counter now serves as the front desk area. It has all worked out really nicely.
VM: Let’s switch over to the other side of Urban Remedy’s green mode: a sustainable approach to healthcare delivery. Could you share some background, as well as how acupuncture is offered here?
EB: Initially, I was just doing private treatments, but it didn’t really make sense to use the space in that way. Responding to that sense of inefficient use, we stumbled upon the community acupuncture model. I was familiar with what had happened six years ago in Portland, where local acupuncturists used the Asian community approach to make medicine more affordable and at the same time, more effective. So I decided to expand the space for community treatments, and to offer service at a range comparable to a doctor visit co-pay. We decided to let the patient decide what to pay, and for those with substantial hardship situations, we would still offer to work something out.
At the same time, the clinic is designed with local west side L.A. culture in mind. There’s both style and comfort, with a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural feel. And there’s no waiting room—we know that people in L.A. don’t like to wait! So there’s a focus on convenience. We aim to get you in and comfortable, and pretty much begin your treatment not too long after you walk through the door. Depending upon the amount of time you have, your treatment will last anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour.
VM: How do you see Urban Remedy’s model fitting into the changing tides of healthcare delivery under the Obama administration?
EB: We greatly anticipate that our sustainable medical model will influence or provide a working model for future healthcare reform—that is, to offer affordable treatment in a healthy setting. This kind of approach is based on wellness, care, and affordability. It is something an average American can do regularly and frequently. At the same time, the client benefits from fostering and participating in community—another crucial aspect of health.
Learn more about Urban Remedy Acupuncture at www.UrbanRemedy.org. Call 310.396.8928, or e-mail eric@urbanremedy.org for more information. Chrysalis Hyon, MA, is a freelance writer residing in Oakland, CA. Her favorite topics include the spirituality of interconnectedness, wellbeing, and the integration of masculine and feminine energies. Contact her at chyon@yahoo.com or visit www.chrysalishyon.com.