Universal City, Texas · English and Spanish
Acupuncture for veterans and people hurt on the job
Three licensed acupuncturists and a bilingual front desk, just northeast of San Antonio. Before your first visit we check your VA authorization or your claim, so you know what to expect.
Book your visit
Choose a time online, or call or text and the front desk will book it with you. If your care comes through the VA or a work injury claim, tell us when you book and we will check it first.
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed
For veterans
VA Community Care, step by step
If your VA care team decides you can get acupuncture in the community, this is how it goes here. Whether you qualify, how many visits you get and what the VA pays are the VA's decisions, not ours.
- 01
Step 1: Your VA care team asks for the care
Ask your VA care team whether community acupuncture is an option for you. They decide, and they send the request.
- 02
Step 2: The VA sends an authorization
The VA sends us an authorization and sends you a letter. It says how many visits and how long it runs. We can't schedule you until we have it.
- 03
Step 3: We schedule you
When the authorization reaches us, the front desk calls or texts you, in English or Spanish, to set your first visit.
- 04
Step 4: What to bring
Bring what is below to your first visit.
Your authorization letter or number
A photo ID
A list of everything you take
Loose clothes
- 05
Step 5: We treat you and write it down
At the visit your acupuncturist treats you, and we note what we did so you can share it with your VA care team.
- 06
Step 6: We bill the VA
We bill the VA for the visits it authorized. Your authorization letter says whether you owe anything.
Who you will see
Licensed in Texas, in English and Spanish
Each acupuncturist's state license is listed at the bottom of every page. Two of the three speak Spanish, and so does the front desk.
State licenses
Teodoro Garay, Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
TX License no. 000000 · Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners
Allows the holder to practice acupuncture in Texas
Gema Tejeda, Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
TX License no. 000000 · Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners
Allows the holder to practice acupuncture in Texas
Bernard Ratliff, Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.)
TX License no. 000000 · Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners
Allows the holder to practice acupuncture in Texas
Languages
English
The whole team
Spanish
Teodoro Garay, Gema Tejeda and Esthela Ferrer at the front desk
Hurt on the job?
Tell us when you book, and we check what your claim covers
Whether a work injury claim covers acupuncture, and who may provide it, is the insurer's decision. We check what your claim covers before your first visit and tell you plainly, so there are no surprises at the front desk.
We don't file or settle your claim. We keep a record of each visit that you can share with the people handling it.
Bring to your first visit
Your claim number
The adjuster's name and phone
Your employer's name
A photo ID
Questions people ask first
Can I use my VA benefits?
If your VA care team requests community acupuncture and the VA sends us an authorization, we schedule you and bill the VA. Whether you qualify is the VA's decision.
I was hurt at work. Can I come in?
Tell us when you book. We check what your claim covers and who has to approve the visit, and we tell you before you come in.
Does it hurt?
Most people feel a brief pinch, or a dull, heavy feeling at the needle. The needles are much thinner than the ones used for shots. Tell us if anything is too much, and we adjust or stop.
Are the needles clean?
Yes. Every needle is sterile and single-use. It comes from a sealed pack, is used once and goes into a sharps container.
Do you speak Spanish?
Yes. Teodoro Garay and Gema Tejeda treat in Spanish and English, and so does Esthela Ferrer at the front desk. Bernard Ratliff treats in English.
What if I'm not sure what my plan covers?
Call or text the front desk. We explain how fees work on the fees page, and we check a VA authorization or a claim for you before your first visit.
Where we are
Neighbors from across the northeast side
We are in Universal City, just northeast of San Antonio and a few minutes from Randolph Field. Most patients come from the towns below.
- Bexar County: Universal City, Converse, Live Oak, Randolph Field, Windcrest
We don't make house calls.
ZIP codes: 78148, 78109, 78233, 78239
Ask a question or request a visit
Tell us how to reach you and what time suits you. We answer in English or Spanish, by phone, text or WhatsApp.