Barefoot Doctor

What Barefoot Doctor does

Barefoot Doctor is a single-location community acupuncture clinic operating from a rowhome at 618 E. Girard Ave in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, founded in 2009 by licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Jennifer (Jenny) Corbin. The clinic delivers Traditional Chinese Medicine services — primarily acupuncture in a small-group setting using zero gravity recliners with treatment points concentrated below the knees and elbows, allowing patients to remain fully clothed — supplemented by Chinese herbal medicine consultations (with a focus on fertility, pregnancy, and women's health) and licensed massage therapy provided by an LMT. The group-treatment architecture is the core operational technology: it allows multiple patients to be treated simultaneously, which underpins the clinic's affordability model.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and entirely out-of-pocket. Patients self-determine their payment within a $30-$60 sliding scale (with a $15 new-patient surcharge on the first visit), with no income verification and no insurance billing; the clinic provides invoices that patients may submit to HSAs or for accident-related reimbursement. Revenue is generated per visit via cash, check, Venmo, or PayPal. Appointments are booked through AppointmentQuest or by phone/email, and the clinic operates approximately five days per week with morning, evening, and weekend hours to accommodate working patients. Barefoot Doctor is a member of POCA (Peoples Organization of Community Acupuncture), a multi-stakeholder cooperative of 200+ community acupuncture clinics nationwide that supports the model and trains practitioners through POCA Tech.

The clinic serves a horizontal segment of the Philadelphia community — people seeking affordable holistic care for conditions including chronic pain, migraines, insomnia, digestive disorders, fertility issues, and anxiety — with a stated commitment to inclusivity across ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. Customer acquisition is driven by word-of-mouth, an extensive testimonials library, community partnerships (e.g., referrals from organizations like the Kensington Community Food Co-op), newsletter signups, and social sharing. There are no funding rounds, no patents, no M&A activity, and no reported expansion beyond the single Fishtown site; the business is founder-owned and bootstrapped.

Name

Barefoot Doctor

Legal name

Barefoot Doctor

Website

https://barefootclinic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barefoot Doctor is a community acupuncture clinic in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood that delivers affordable, group-setting Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments on a sliding scale ($30-$60/visit) to individual patients seeking holistic care for pain, fertility, and chronic conditions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Acupuncture & Holistic Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSALAFAM

Reflexology & Acupressure Services

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Spa & Body Treatment Services

SECONDARYHSADAHAN

Cupping Therapy & Gua Sha Bodywork

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Massage Therapy & Bodywork

SECONDARYHSALAEAO

Medical/Therapeutic Massage (Rehab/Pain Management)

Home & Personal Services/Personal Care & Beauty Services/Massage Therapy Services

Keywords

• Community acupuncture services
• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Affordable holistic healthcare
• Sliding scale acupuncture
• Chinese herbal medicine

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Acupuncture Treatment Fees: Direct patient payments using a sliding scale fee model. Patients pay $30-$60 per visit based on their self-determined financial ability. New patients pay an additional $15 initial treatment fee. Payment methods include cash, check (to Jennifer Corbin), Venmo, and PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barefoot Doctor operates a single-location community acupuncture clinic in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood, delivering individualized acupuncture treatments in a serene small-group setting using zero gravity recliners. The clinic supplements its core acupuncture service with Chinese herbal medicine consultations (focused on fertility, pregnancy, and women's health) and licensed massage therapy (including injury rehabilitation, trigger point therapy, deep-tissue, Swedish massage, gua-sha, and cupping). All services are offered under a sliding scale fee model ($30-$60 per visit plus a $15 new patient fee) with no income verification and no insurance billing.

Product overview

Barefoot Doctor is a community acupuncture clinic offering a single integrated service model centered on group acupuncture treatments in a community setting. The core offering is Community Acupuncture Services, supplemented by Chinese Herbal Medicine consultations and Massage Therapy as adjunct services. All services are unified under a sliding scale payment model that enables affordable access to holistic healthcare. The clinic operates from a Fishtown, Philadelphia location with morning, evening, and weekend hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Acupuncture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Patients can receive treatment at $30-$60 per visit vs. $75-$175 at typical private acupuncturists
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• POCA (Peoples Organization of Community Acupuncture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarefoot Doctor is a proud member of POCA, a multi-stakeholder cooperative focused on making acupuncture available and accessible to as many people as possible. POCA supports member clinics in creating stable and sustainable businesses. With over 200 member clinics nationwide, POCA provides a network for referrals and shared resources. POCA Tech (their school) trains acupuncturists in community acupuncture with a social justice lens. The cooperative promotes the community acupuncture model as a social business that places value on contributing to others.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/barefootclinicphilly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barefoot Doctor