Using traditional Chinese medicine to help others achieve wellness

Pun Chang wasn’t sure what she was looking for in life until she found it.

The St. Cloud State University alumna opened her private practice Healthqi Acupuncture in November 2024 in New Hope, Minnesota. She built the business from the ground up, from licensing to reviewing floor plans. It’s her hope to introduce people to potential solutions through a form of health care they might not have considered previously.

“I feel like not a lot of people know what traditional Chinese medicine is like, what it can treat and things like that,” she said. “I hope I can make holistic health care more accessible and more known out there so that people are aware they have options in terms of health care.”

Chang earned her bachelor’s in applied sociology with an emphasis in family health and age from SCSU in 2017. While on campus she served as secretary of the Hmong Student Organization and interned with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. She also studied abroad three different times.

“I like to think that my experience at St. Cloud was incredible. I think I had a well-rounded and enriching experience,” she said. “Some say the experience you want is experience you put in, and I feel like I achieved just that.”

Following SCSU, Chang took a year off before starting her master’s in Chinese medicine.

“I wanted to do something meaningful in my life, and I was receiving acupuncture as well. One day after my treatment, I was like, ‘Why not just do acupuncture? Just become a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner,’” she said. “It's a great skill to have for myself and for the people around me. It's good to have options for health care, too. We have access to Western health care; why not add an Eastern side to health care?”

Through her work Chang looks to help patients manage their pain, stress and various health concerns. Some of her treatments help with musculoskeletal concerns, support for expectant mothers, insomnia among many other conditions. She also looks to educate others about acupuncture through her work as well as the related content she shares on social media.

“Traditional Chinese medicine is still foreign, and it's slowly getting its foot into the door of Western health care. So by advocating and informing people, it's making traditional Chinese medicine more approachable,” she said. “I like to think of it as I'm kind of bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicine and just showing that traditional Chinese medicine — the wisdom can integrate with modern lifestyles.”

It’s Chang’s goal to help individuals achieve long-term wellness by addressing the root cause of their health concerns through acupuncture and supporting therapies.

“It feels incredibly rewarding to witness my patients heal and feel relieved,” she said. “A lot of my patients; they leave my clinic feeling better than when they have arrived, which shows the immediate tangible benefit of my care.”

Chang hopes to help others to not only manage their health concerns, but find their own inspirations as well.

“I hope that I can be an impact, be a role model for other entrepreneurs — whether they're future acupuncturists or aspiring business owners in any field. I started this business from the ground up, so it wasn't easy, but I want to show people that it's possible,” she said. “I think that if you have a vision, hard work and you stay committed, you can build something meaningful, and I hope my journey inspires others to dream big and take the first step.”