by Elbert Tom, MPH, DDS
In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Healing California organized a community event on October 12, 2024, dedicated to offering crucial medical, dental, and vision services to those who lack access to proper healthcare. This event, which took place at the New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach, highlighted the commitment to providing free and accessible healthcare to underserved populations in Los Angeles County.
Healing California was founded in 2018 with a mission to assist low-income individuals who fall through the cracks of public health insurance programs. Many of these individuals are ineligible for government-sponsored programs like Medi-Cal but still face significant barriers to receiving basic medical care. The organization’s focus is on meeting the most critical needs of these vulnerable communities, particularly in areas where access to preventive services is minimal or nonexistent.
The pop-up clinics and mobile health vans deployed by Healing California are at the heart of its operations, allowing healthcare to come directly to those in need. This model enables Healing California to provide medical, dental, and vision services to up to 300 patients per day, often in neighborhoods that are medically underserved.
For this particular event, Healing California collaborated with a diverse group of community-based organizations, including The Pink Journey Foundation, Hands of New Hope, local health clinics, and various veterans organizations, to bring an array of services under one roof.
The presence of Pink Journey at the event was both significant and symbolic, as the non-profit’s mission is centered around breast cancer awareness, education, and early detection. A mobile mammogram screening unit was stationed on-site to provide breast cancer screenings and education to women from underserved communities, emphasizing the importance of early detection in saving lives. The Pink Journey team, along with other medical professionals at the event, provided a range of preventive health screenings, including blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, and crisis intervention services for individuals experiencing health-related emergencies.
Vision care, often an overlooked aspect of preventive health, was also a major focus of the event. A fully equipped mobile van staffed by ophthalmologists, ophthalmic students and vision care professionals offered comprehensive eye exams and refraction tests. Most impressively, they provided same-day fabrication of prescription eyeglasses. For many in these communities, vision care can be a luxury, but Healing California made sure that patients who required corrective lenses left the event with new glasses in hand.
The UCLA School of Dentistry, where I teach, played a pivotal role in addressing the dental needs of the participants, sending both dental students and faculty mentors to provide expert care. A total of 80 dental patients were seen during the event, receiving a variety of services ranging from routine exams and oral cancer screenings to x-rays, cleanings, fillings, and extractions. Dental care is often one of the most difficult services for low-income individuals to access, so the contributions of the UCLA dental team were both timely and essential.
The energy and sense of unity at the event were palpable. Volunteers from all walks of life, including medical and dental professionals, student interns, and local community members, worked together to create a supportive environment where every patient felt cared for. The camaraderie among volunteers was infectious, and the collaborative spirit fostered deep interprofessional relationships that will likely lead to even more effective future healthcare initiatives.
As the event came to a close, the sense of achievement was clear. Dozens of patients had received the critical care they needed, and hundreds of others left the event with a newfound understanding of their own health and well-being. But the impact of this day extended far beyond the immediate services provided. Events like this one are part of a larger movement toward healthcare equality—where care is not a privilege, but a right, for every individual, regardless of their economic situation.
The success of this event is just the beginning. It has sparked interest and excitement for future volunteer-led initiatives aimed at serving the community’s most vulnerable populations. The relationships forged between the various professional groups involved, along with the enthusiastic participation of the volunteers, have paved the way for more collaborative efforts to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare to underserved communities across Los Angeles County. As Healing California continues to expand its reach, the hope is that more individuals will benefit from these critical services, ultimately improving health outcomes and saving lives throughout the region.
About the Author
Dr. Elbert Tom is Group Practice Director and Health Care Clinical Assistant Professor, UCLA School of Dentistry.
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