BUDDHIST TZU CHI MEDICAL FOUNDATION

We hold the goal of improving the overall health of the community by providing high-quality primary medical, dental, acupuncture, and vision care and promoting the awareness of preventive health to patients, especially financially disadvantaged, uninsured and underinsured individuals, at minimal or no charge. We aim to accomplish this goal by reducing patient's suffering from illnesses, detecting diseases early, and treating patients before diseases becoming more serious. It not only improves community health, but also decreases the utilization of healthcare resources.

Our methods of improving community health include permanent and mobile clinics, healthy community program, and domestic and international medical outreaches.

To further our goals, we have established five strategies this year.

1. To become a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in order to be more sustainable.
2. To establish new permanent clinics in Central and Northern California.
3. To strengthen our collaboration with community partners of the mobile clinic program in order to serve more needy individuals in more service locations.
4. To work closely with community leaders and organizations to build a model of a healthy community.
5. To start new mobile clinics in other states.

Our sufficient clinical experience of having 551,176 patient encounters in the past 23 years and a group of 2,959 TIMA medical professional and logistics volunteers in the U.S. demonstrate that we have the capability to make significant impact on underserved communities. Our organization's nature of volunteerism ensures the cost effectiveness of our programs, thus some of the funding can be saved and used for direct medical services.

Our organization has also established solid partnerships with community organizations. We have set up a broad network in order to attract funding partners, for example, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, CalViva, Health Net, Blue Shield of California Foundation, Harbor Community Benefit Foundation, Cathay Bank, and ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer. In addition, we collaborate with organizations including Care Harbor, Molina Healthcare/Molina Medical, Pacific Clinics, East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless, Foothill Unity Center, Downtown Women's Center, MLK Recuperative Care Center, Flying Doctors, Eye-Q Vision Care, school districts, churches, and other organizations for various mobile clinic projects.

Recently, we focus on developing our corporate sponsorship program and providing businesses various opportunities to support needy communities with us. Fundraising events for corporate and social media campaign for private donors are held to enhance our sustainability.

We have 551,176 patient encounters in the past 23 years in permanent and mobile clinic sites. Many of our patients are local residents; low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals; homeless; school children; migrant farm workers; and people with difficulties accessing proper healthcare. We also established a healthy community program that encourages patients to take control of their health actively.

In order to serve more unprivileged individuals in remote areas, we have increased the number of mobile clinics to nine clinics. Prostate cancer screening service is currently available in our cancer screening mobile, and our vision mobile, dental mobile and medical mobile have served school children, homelessness population, local shelters, senior centers in Los Angeles county, Fresno and north California since 2010.

From 2021 to 2023, in response to COVID-19, BTCMF organized several community-targeted vaccinations, COVID-19 testing activities, and the distribution of personal protective equipment. It also organized community dialogues to provide community residents with information on the disease and vaccines.

Moreover, we have received some financial support to support our COVID-19 related services and Vision and dentistry. With the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation and Blueair's support, we donated 150 air purifiers to low-income people in Wilmington and San Pedro. We provided education on the proper use of air purifiers to improve the respiratory health of surrounding low-income residents.

And we are constantly renovating and expanding our clinic interior and external facilities, hoping to provide more community residents with high-quality services and promote the health and well-being of the entire community.

One of our prospects is to reach out to more locations and help more people in need. Understanding the healthcare need of migrant farm workers and the working poor, the other prospect is to establish permanent clinics in Central and Northern California.