Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Golden Pig begins on Sunday, February 18th. The year of the pig represents abundance, prosperity, success in business and fertility- all perfect to coincide with our relocation!

We hope you will join us for our Open House on Tuesday, April 24th from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. at our new home on the 3rd Floor of the South End Community Health Center at 1601 Washington Street in Boston’s South End.

By Mary Kinneavy, MAc, LAc, Clinic Supervisor

With our suddenly frigid weather, there’s no doubt we’re in the heart of winter. While we might like to curl up, stay warm and rest until spring, most of us are out living our busy lives amid the sneezes and sniffles that surround us. Acupuncture, herbal medicine and bodywork are wonderful ways to fortify your immune system and prevent those colds and flus from invading. Acupuncture and shiatsu bodywork keep your energy pathways flowing freely, and Chinese herbs warm and strengthen your system.

South End Yoga and Sadhana Studio are both located within a few blocks of our new clinic in Boston’s South End. They offer a variety of yoga styles and classes for experienced students as well as for those new to yoga. Please contact the studios directly or visit their web sites for more information and class schedules.
If you are interested in a type of yoga that is not offered by one of our partners, please let us know by sending us an email.

Research Director named Co-Chair of Alternative and Complementary Health Practices Group

Our Research Director, Beth Sommers, was elected co-chair of the Alternative and Complementary Health Practices group of the American Public Health Association (APHA). She is serving the upcoming year with co-chair Alan Trachtenberg, MD, who was one of the conveners of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on Acupuncture.

Pathways’ Staff Receive Partners in Excellence Award

Irene Martyniuk and Beth Sommers were among the recent recipients of the Partners HealthCare Annual Partners in Excellence Award. The awards were given as recognition for their work with the HOPES Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The HOPES Program offers a variety of wellness programs, including acupuncture, to patients at MGH who are receiving care for cancer.

Due to a funding increase and Irene's dedication to quality care, our satellite program at MGH HOPES Oncology expanded its auricular treatments to two days a week in mid-December. A schedule of treatment times is available by calling MGH HOPES directly at (617) 724-6737.

Pathways and its partners from Boston University School of Public Health have been awarded a three-year research grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The study will examine the roles of acupuncture and relaxation in controlling digestive side effects related to the use of HIV medications.

Melanie at the front desk

Pathways enthusiastically welcomes, Melanie Robinson, our newest member of the front desk team! Some of you may already be familiar with Melanie. She works Tuesdays through Fridays in the evening and on Saturdays as well. Melanie is a second year student at Simmons College majoring in Women’s Studies and minoring in Sociology. She intends to use her degree to promote sexual health and education. She looks forward to her tenure at Pathways and cannot wait to meet all of you!

Christina in the clinic

It is our pleasure to introduce Christina Dea, MAc, LAc, who will join us in the main clinic on Friday evenings! Christina received a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) in 2006 and a BA in Biology from Boston University in 1998. Christina specializes in gentle Japanese techniques having studied with one of the premier specialists. We are also pleased to announce that Christina will return to her volunteer shift in the Friday morning ACP clinic!

The Adam Estreicher Fund

Adam Estreicher started at Pathways in 1997 as an acupuncture assistant. In 2000 he began work as an acupuncturist in the main clinic, the LARC program at Shattuck Hospital, and also became our first acupuncturist at the MGH HIV program. He is dearly missed.

Learn more about Adam and the fund.

By Julia Herskowitz, Lic. Ac.

This recipe is adapted from a Moroccan recipe in Joan Nathan’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen. It can be adapted further by using winter squash or parsnips instead of or in addition to the potatoes or carrots, changing the kind of beans or spices used, etc. In any case, it is a wonderful winter dish, warming as well as nutritious, and special enough for company. Add a green salad or other green vegetable for a complete meal.