About Tzu Chi Community Clinic, South El Monte

 

 

Tzu Chi Community Clinic in South El Monte, Calif., opened in September 2005 as the second permanent clinic of the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation. The clinic provides affordable, patient-centered medical care with compassion, serving the general public, medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations, regardless of religion, age, gender, ethnicity and ability to pay.

In May of 2008, dental and alternative medicine (acupuncture) services were added and are currently the only services available at this location. The clinic also constantly holds health management classes, volunteer training and health seminars for the community of South El Monte, whose population is close to 44,000. Residents are primarily Hispanic (82.3%) and Asian (13.6%), with a median age of 34.7, median household income of $40,841, and poverty level of 23 percent.

In 2019, the clinic plans to expand its reach and service through partnerships with more insurance providers, as well as Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal. It also hopes to obtain the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) certification in the near future to further extend its reach in the community.

Representatives of the clinic are currently in contact with a local senior center located close by about potentially providing services for their upcoming events, and the center has expressed interest in collaborating for mutual benefit.

The clinic’s long-term goals include reintegrating Western medicine services and adding vision care, as well as establishing a dental assistant school to provide a high-quality, hands-on education to students from all walks of life.

In addition, the clinic’s doctors, through association with Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA), are committed to participating in international medical outreach initiatives, such as recent missions following disasters in Mexico and Ecuador.