About Tzu Chi Medical Center
Tzu Chi USA Medical Center in Alhambra, Calif., is part of Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, a nonprofit 50I(c)(3) humanitarian organization established in 1993. Tzu Chi Medical Foundation fulfills the medical mission of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a global humanitarian charity organization founded by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in Taiwan in 1966. Tzu Chi USA Medical Center, initially called the Buddhist Tzu Chi Free Clinic, was the first overseas clinic of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation when it opened. It has been faithfully serving the health care needs of the community since then.
Through its three permanent clinics (Alhambra, Wilmington, South El Monte), seven mobile clinics, and medical outreach events, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation offers dental, medical, acupuncture, vision, cancer screening and community health services. The permanent clinics serve over 150,000 visits per year, while the medical outreach and mobile clinics serve over 100,000 visits annually.
Tzu Chi Medical Foundation pays particular attention to meeting the health care needs of underserved and disadvantaged populations, offering medical, dental and acupuncture services. Its mobile clinics target migrant farmers throughout the central California region, while the permanent clinics provide a home base for treating more complicated cases, such as minor surgery or chronic diseases with complications.
Working in collaboration with organizations such as Kaiser, Molina Healthcare, RAM, Care Harbor and various nonprofits, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation strives to build healthy communities and increase public health awareness. Its medical outreach is powered by volunteer health care professionals who are members of TIMA (Tzu Chi International Medical Association). Their activities attract new membership, and, as local chapters form and provide outreach, healthy communities across the U.S. become possible.
Since 1993, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation has expanded from a single free clinic to three permanent community clinics and seven mobile clinics. The foundation will continue to grow through the establishment of more clinics and provision of additional subspecialty health care services, further strengthening its aim of generating healthy communities.