Open Source Wellness was born out of the knowledge that our healthcare system predictably fails our most vulnerable communities. Co-Founders Dr. Elizabeth Markle and Dr. Benjamin Emmert-Aronson convened a group of dedicated, passionate folks to demonstrate another way! As psychologists working in clinical healthcare, Liz and Ben were clear that for many of our patients, who didn't have access to the boutique wellness industry, a "Behavioral Prescription" is a prescription to nowhere. There's no pharmacy in the world that can help with those prescriptions! It was a recipe for continued struggle, disastrous health inequities, and a failing healthcare system.

They started to imagine what a Behavioral Pharmacy would look like: a welcoming, joyful, community-based way to create health and wellbeing. One of their early guests, Dr. Steven Chen, invited OSW to bring our program to Alameda Health System, partnering with a primary care team to deliver Group Medical Visits. This initial partnership paved the way for expansion to other clinics. Eventually, Dr. Chen would become Chief Medical Officer of the newly formed Recipe4Health, and integrate Open Source Wellness into their Food As Medicine work for all of Alameda County, accessing Medi-Cal funding via Cal-AIM.

Beginning in 2024, Open Source Wellness entered an exciting new era. Clinical healthcare and related fields are awakening to the importance of human connection, and seeking innovative solutions to our health care crises. The rise of Social Prescribing is lending momentum to our work, as healthcare leaders embrace clinic-community integration as a necessary aspect of the care spectrum.

Our partnerships with YMCAs are pioneering a profoundly scalable approach to health equity, as YMCAs embrace health coaching and the broader Community As Medicine approach. And lastly, we're so proud that Dr. Markle's TEDx talk entitled "Community As Medicine" is bringing increased visibility to the organization, and she travels nationally to share this work a variety of healthcare, community, and corporate audiences.

Walk With OSW, presented by Chubb

Join us at Lake Merritt for a day of fun!

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