Hundreds of uninsured Inland Empire residents receive medical, dental, vision and mental health resources at free medical clinic

A free medical clinic was held at Loma Linda Chinese Church on December 7^th and 9^th.

The successful medical clinic was a partnership between Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes, the Loma Linda Chinese and Yorba Linda Seventh-day Adventist Churches, Loma Linda University Dental School, and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

When asked why hosting a medical clinic is important to the region, Reyes said, “According to the census, one in five people in the 47th Assembly District are uninsured. With close to half-a-million people residing in the 47th Assembly District, the number equates to about 100,000. This number does not account for those who are also underinsured.”

“Last year, the clinic we hosted serviced approximately 700 people. We haven’t received the final numbers for this year but we are expecting close to the same amount of attendees, if not more,” continued Reyes.

The clinic covered medical, dental, vision, and even social services such as mental health resources.

“The clinic did not only cover general medical, dental, and vision services, but they also included mental health resources, nutrition education, free food, and a variety of different resource booths who shared information about their social service agencies and companies. Incentives were given to attendees who would go around to the different booths asking about the services they offered in hopes that they would benefit from them,” Reyes said.

The medical clinic partners have found that the impact of this event has been substantial to the region.

“These services have shown a ripple effect in our region. First, it impacted those who received the direct services. There were people who attended who solely rely on this health clinic to receive their medical check-ups for the year,” said Reyes.

“In addition, this clinic helps alleviate emergency room usage by addressing medical issues before reaching severe needs. Lastly, this event also impacted the countless volunteers that worked tirelessly to coordinate and promote this event. The feeling of positively impacting someone’s life is truly inspiring. I commend those who worked so hard to make this year’s Amen Clinic a success,” continued Reyes.

Reyes’ office was flooded with phone calls once the clinic began its promotion cycle and callers were shocked when they were told that all services were free of charge.

“Once we started promoting this event through our networks and social media, our district office was flooded with calls. Everyday people would call our office asking if there was a charge, if they needed to show identification, or if they could only get one service of the three that were offered,” Reyes said.

“When they heard that it was open to everyone, free of charge, and that they could receive all of the services offered, the response was unbelievable. It was as if it was too good to be true. It was wonderful to see the happy faces of those who had just received services after years of not receiving medical treatment,” she said.

Good news…the Amen Medical Clinic is going to be held annually.

“One of the most wonderful things about this event was that we saw people attend from all walks of life and absolutely no documentation was required,” shared Reyes. “We had people call our office to share that they had medical insurance through their work but it did not cover dental or vision. Everyone was welcomed and no one was turned away. This event will continue to be offered annually as it has for the last two years.”

Reyes said she would like to thank her partners: the Loma Linda Chinese and Yorba Linda Seventh-day Adventist Churches, Loma Linda University Dental School, and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.

“In addition, this event was sponsored by donations from local residents and businesses. This event would not have been possible without their generous donations. And lastly, Dr. Ang Yen who is the lead coordinator for this event. It was her vision to bring this clinic to the community last year and she deserves all the recognition for turning her vision into reality,” concluded Reyes.