Our Past, Present, and Future
By: Andrew S. Hsu, M.D., and Chairman of Medical Advisory Board

On November 1, 1993, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Free Clinic was established in Los
Angeles, California. This is the first overseas endeavor of the Tzu Chi
Foundation's mission of worldwide health cares. Under Master Cheng Yen's (Tzu Chi Founder) guidance of compassion, the Free Clinic has served more than 85,000 people of different ethnic background that cannot afford to pay for their health care.
Because of its contribution to the communities, the Free Clinic has received
numerous commendations and enthusiastic support from local government and
organizations.

Because the Free Clinic is a nonprofit, volunteer-based entity, its operation
depends mainly on the volunteers. Since it's opening, there are 115 medical
doctors, 28 doctors of alternative medicine, 60 dentists, 25 pharmacists and
36 nurses who have come to work at the Free Clinic after their regular busy
professional jobs. The numbers of administrative volunteers has reached
280. The volunteers are really the backbone of the Free Clinic.

The future challenges The Free Clinic will face in the next years are:

1. Expansion of outreach programs including purchase of a dental/medical
   Medi-medi van to provide more efficient services to the remote regions.
2. Expansion of networking with local hospitals and charitable organizations.
3. Creation of a children's rehabilitation unit.
4. Establishment of a hospice cares center to provide home care services to
   the terminally ill and seniors.
5. Participation in TIMA projects and international relief missions.
6. Upgrading the clinic's facility and equipment.
7. Recruitment and training of more professional and administrative volunteers.