Open Source Wellness is a Community and a "Behavioral Pharmacy" where four basic practices underlying physical and psychological health are facilitated.
MOVE
NOURISH
CONNECT
BE
Our Story
Dr. Elizabeth Markle, Cofounder and Executive Director
As a primary care health psychologist, for years it was my job to help physicians be more effective in helping their patients. I spoke with thousands of doctors and patients about how to translate diagnoses and health information into actionable, effective steps towards health and wellbeing.
After doing this work for a number of years, I had a realization: Doctors are constantly making the same set of “behavioral prescriptions,” like “Exercise more,” or “Eat healthier,” or “Reduce your stress.” Unfortunately, they give these instructions, and then say something like, “Well, good luck with that. I’ll see you in 6 months!”
Imagine a doctor saying, “You’re going to need antibiotics (or insulin). Good luck finding that! I’ll see you in 6 months!” It would be absurd to give a prescription but have no pharmacy, no delivery system. Yet this is exactly what our patients needing to make health behavior changes (like exercise, nutrition, or stress) face: a prescription that no pharmacy anywhere can fill.
Yes, there is a boutique health and wellness system, and those with privilege can shop at Whole Foods, hire health coaches, and join gyms. But for those individuals and families who need it most, who struggle with poverty, unsafe environments, and upstream drivers of chronic disease, - there is no affordable, accessible, and culturally relevant delivery system for the behavioral medicine that they need, and as an entire society we pay the price.
Ben and I designed Open Source Wellness to fill the gaping hole between a doctor’s “behavioral prescription” and the actual experiential fulfillment of that prescription. We are happy when we see people moving their bodies together, eating well together, learning together, managing stress together, - and developing the skill, power, and agency within their communities to collectively generate health and wellbeing.
Thanks for being a part of our work, and please don’t hesitate to reach out. I love connecting with patients, providers, and others in the clinical and public health fields, and believe that together we can create a system that works for everyone.
Models of Delivery
CLINICALLY
INTEGRATED
Located on site at healthcare campuses or clinics, fully integrated into clinical workflow and electronic health record, funded/contracted by healthcare provider and/or insurer organizations.
CLINICALLY
INTEGRATED
Operating in conjunction with Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Hayward Wellness Center, Native American Health Center, Alameda Health System, and All-In Alameda County
COMMUNITY
BASED
Accepts referrals/prescriptions from a variety of primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health providers along with self-referred individuals, receives payment from individuals and organizations on a sliding scale.
COMMUNITY
BASED
Open to the public at
221 Oak St in partnership with Prevention Institute
Embedded within low-income housing communities, utilizing co-design and co-production strategies to generate physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing with minimal barriers and no cost to residents.
HOUSING
COMMUNITIES
HOUSING
COMMUNITIES
Operating in partnership with Satellite Affordable Housing Authority (SAHA)
our TEAM
Elizabeth Markle, Ph.D.
Co-Founder,
Executive Director
[email protected]ourceWellness.org
Professor and Chair,
California Institute of Integral Studies
Speaker, Consultant
Ferocious pursuer of dreams.
Co-Founder,
Director of Operations
Researcher, Speaker, Advocate
Takes dreams. Makes them real.
Rachel Barach
HR and Training Manager
[email protected]penSourceWellness.org
Certified Nutrition Consultant
Certified Mind Body Nutrition Coach
Trained Chef
Food Enthusiast. Lover of Dance.
Health Coach
[email protected]penSourceWellness.org
Master's in Integrative Health Coaching & Wellness Management
Certified in Guided Imagery
Passionate, Inquisitive, Authentic
Kermit Goodman
[email protected]ourceWellness.org
Certified Health Coach
Transformational Counselor
Dance Instructor
Aliveness is an Infinite Scale of Discovery
Susanna Merlo, M.A.
Rohita Bhatia
Health Coach
[email protected]
Certified Nutrition Consultant
Cultural food practices advocate
Content creator & digital marketer
Meagan Moroney
Health Coach & Site Lead
[email protected]ourceWellness.org
Empathetic. Energizer. Advocate. Healer
Jacky Carrillo
Health Coach
[email protected]
Highly motivated through the power of connection, kindness, and understanding.
Accepting Applications
Currently hiring for our 2022 cohort of interns beginning in January! In particular, we are looking for folks with interest or expertise in HR, Social Media, Patient Outreach, or Health Coaching. Additional preference for Spanish or Mandarin speakers.
Find out about our:
LATEST NEWS & MEDIA
Evolution of Medicine podcast
James Maskell interviews Dr. Elizabeth Markle about our work
Published research on our work
Read an in-depth assessment of our work from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
One Page Overview
Get the whole story on one page!
Just how effective are we?
Check out our data outcomes
Qualitative Outcomes
What do our participants, providers, and coaches say about OSW?
Our partners in Alameda Health System
Read about a clinical implementation of our model
2019 Scattergood Innovation Award Winners!
We were named 2019's most innovative program by the Thomas Scattergood Foundation
Stanford researchers study OSW
See their findings here