28 Jul South Korean President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea
Recognize Kheir Clinic with the Presidential Award at the World Korean Day Ceremony
Kheir Clinic was presented with the Korean Presidential Commendation and Pennant Flag during the World Korean Day celebration at the official residence of the Consul General of Los Angeles Young- wan Kim.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea presents the annual National Merit awards to overseas Koreans worldwide who have contributed to the advancement of the rights of Korean emigrants and their international Korean communities. Kheir Clinic was selected as the recipient of the Presidential Award in recognition of its contributions in providing culturally-competent healthcare and social services to Korean immigrants in the United States. The prestigious award acknowledges Kheir’s effective promotion and delivery of critically vital services to the underserved, underprivileged, and vulnerable community members.
Worldwide, a total of 32 individuals and organizations were awarded the Presidential Commendation for their extraordinary services.
“We applaud Kheir Clinic for serving as a lifeline for many recent immigrants. Kheir has grown and expanded its reach to supporting not only the Korean and Latino immigrants but also the Bangladeshi and Thai communities who are neighbors in multiple regards. We’re also proud and grateful to Kheir for its work during the COVID pandemic, safeguarding and delivering the community’s equitable access to vaccines and resources,” remarked the Consul General Kim.
“We are humbled and honored for the recognition by the Korean government for our work, delivering quality linguistically and culturally-appropriate services to everyone who needs our assistance. We renew our commitment to increasing access to quality and timely healthcare for the marginalized communities, regardless of their ability to pay,” pledged Ms. Pak.
Kheir Clinic was founded in 1986 by a decorated World War II hero Colonel Young Oak Kim. From its humble beginning as a referral agency in one-room office, Kheir has since evolved is a multi-service agency with 7 service locations. Kheir delivers free or low-cost medical, dental, optometry, mental health, acupuncture, podiatry and adult day healthcare services to low-income residents of Los Angeles. Kheir is a medical home to over 19,750 individuals, and remains the only federally qualified health center (FQHC) in the nation to provide full suite of health care services in English, Korean, Spanish, Bengali and Thai. In 2022, Kheir delivered 130,000 service visits in 26 languages to its patients and clients. Kheir was named 2020 Los Angeles Business Journal Community Clinic of the Year and 2022 California State Assembly District 54 Nonprofit of the Year.
About Kheir: Since 1986, Kheir Clinic has addressed the community’s critical need for culturally and linguistically-sensitive quality health care and human services. Initially established to serve as a bridge between recently immigrated Koreans and local social service providers, Kheir has since evolved into Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides comprehensive services for a diverse population in four interrelated areas: Health Care, Human Services, Adult Day Health Care, and Affordable Housing.