(L-R) Councilmember Denise Menchaca and HCHC CEO, Carolin Eng (Photo – Cheryl Cabot)
On March 15, several city officials from San Gabriel, Arcadia, Rosemead, Temple City and Monterey Park as well as from Los Angeles County, honored the Herald Christian Health Center (HCHC) of San Gabriel for their work with COVID testing and COVID vaccinations.
By Cheryl Cabot
At a press conference held at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, Carolin Eng, Chief Executive Officer of HCHC, was lauded for being on the forefront of COVID testing and vaccines. HCHC was the first clinic to offer free testing in San Gabriel and has been a leader in providing vaccinations for underserved communities in the San Gabriel Valley. To date, they have administered over 10,000 vaccinations and have ensured that the entire staff of the San Gabriel Unified School District has been vaccinated.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said, “It takes a village, and what you are seeing here today is just one example of what we are doing throughout the County, but I have to take my hat off, and I’ve never been prouder to represent cities such as San Gabriel. Let’s get everyone vaccinated, and let’s make President Biden right and have everything open by July 4th.”
In addition to San Gabriel’s Mayor and Councilmembers, other city officials attended the press conference as well as Edith Gonzales, from the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, all expressing thanks to HCHC for their continued work during the pandemic.
“When vaccines became available to fight the pandemic,” Herald Christian Health Center CEO Carolin Eng said, “we immediately recognized the enormous needs of the residents of the San Gabriel Valley, particularly those who have no language or computer skills to register online. Nor did they have the transportation needs to go to a major distribution site.
“We had no vaccine. We had no resources. How can we help? We are a very small public, Federal health center, but we have a big part to play with underserved people. Thanks to the L.A County Supervisors and the Department of Public Health, we got the vaccine.
“The Asian American people did not cause the pandemic, but we are here to fight the pandemic with all your help. Together, we can make an impact to the residents in our communities.”
As a non-profit community clinic licensed by the Department of Health Care Services, Herald Christian Health Center does not deny service to anyone due to inability to pay. They assist patients with financial difficulties through government programs and sliding scale discount application. To learn more about all their services go to the HCHC website.
Herald Christian Health Center, located at 923 S. San Gabriel Boulevard, San Gabriel, is supported by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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