In an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Chinese Hospital has continued its COVID-19 prevention campaign to urge the public to continue getting tested. While expanding vaccination clinics has been its recent focus, Chinese Hospital still maintains its on-site testing services to promote community access to testing. Chinese Hospital also holds weekly testing events at Chinatown Portsmouth Square, in collaboration with City of SF and other community partners including Teochew Community Center and Chinese Community Health Resource Center.

“Widespread vaccination is the key to overcoming the pandemic and returning to normal life, so I highly encourage all to get vaccinated when it is their turn.” Dr. Jian Zhang, CEO of Chinese Hospital says. “It also makes a tremendous difference if we continue to practice the other steps to reduce the disease spread: mask-wearing, social distancing, and testing. That goes for everyone, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.”

With a recent decline in statewide and local positive cases and greater public attention and demand for vaccination, testing numbers have been steadily dropping—a concerning trend according to health experts.

“The community must make sure to get tested if they meet the testing criteria” Dr. Scott Huang, Medical Director of Chinese Community Health Services says. “Even with the increasing rate of vaccinations, there is a lot that we do not know about the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing viral transmission. At the time same, several variants of the virus are starting to emerge and we are still learning more about their infectiousness. High rates of testing are instrumental to our ability to detect these variants and prevent outbreaks, resulting in fewer hospitalizations and deaths.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following individuals should still get tested:
• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• People who have had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• People who have taken part in activities that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 because they cannot socially distance as needed, such as travel, attending large social or mass gatherings, or being in crowded indoor settings.
• People who have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local, external icon or state health department.

Chinese Hospital and City of SF will continue to hold free weekly testing events at Chinatown Portsmouth Square through the month of March from 10am to 2pm on Wednesdays (3/10, 3/17, 3/24, 3/31). The community is also welcome to make an appointment for testing services at Chinese Hospital and Clinics by calling 1-628-228-2828.

Media Contact:

Jenni Lau

[email protected]

1-415-677-2378

After a year of leading the community through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Chinese Hospital has reached a new milestone by increasing its vaccination efforts and offering COVID-19 vaccine to the broader community. As the COVID-19 vaccine provides the best defense against the virus, Chinese Hospital is committed to expanding access to vaccines by hosting community vaccination clinic events. The first clinic, held on January 29, 2021 at 445 Grant Avenue in SF Chinatown, was opened to community members age 65 and older, in addition to other eligible individuals in tier 1A.

“Chinese Hospital is striving to do everything it can to safeguard this community. I would like to thank SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) for ensuring that we are equipped to provide the community with the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Jian Zhang, Chinese Hospital CEO. “With the support of SFDPH and our community partners, Chinese Hospital is able to offer this vaccine to more members of our community. We are excited to scale up our vaccination efforts and serve more groups as we receive additional supply and as we progress through the tier-system.”

In accordance with local and state guidelines, Chinese Hospital is now expanding access to vaccines to individuals age 65 and older, while continuing to vaccinate its staff, physicians, and other high-risk healthcare workers. As distribution recommendations evolve, Chinese Hospital will follow these guidelines as it continues to organize more community vaccination clinic events.

“I thank Chinese Hospital for partnering with the City to get our seniors and most vulnerable residents vaccinated as quickly as possible at a time when the State roll-out of the vaccine has been so challenging,” said SF District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who was in attendance of the event. “Our local healthcare partners are stepping up and demonstrating that we can safely and efficiently vaccinate San Francisco.”

Media Contact:
Jenni Lau
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1-415-677-2378

Chinese Hospital has been serving the San Francisco for over 120 years and relentlessly upholding its mission “deliver quality health care in a cost-effective way, responsive to the community’s ethnic and cultural uniqueness, providing access to health care and acceptability to all socioeconomic levels” despite the COVID pandemic. The Installation Ceremony of the Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees 2021 was held on January 26th, demonstrating the new board’s commitment and dedication to leading the hospital towards a bright future.

The Board of Trustees 2021 took the oath of office, administered by San Francisco’s Mayor, Ms. London Breed. Mr. Kitman Chan and Mr. Harvey Louie are pleased to be re-elected as the chair and vice-chair of the board.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Chan welcomed all the 2021 board members and thanked all the 2020 board members for their time and dedication in making 2020 a success, especially considering the difficulties being faced by our industry this year. Then, he expressed his sincere appreciation to the management team, medical staff and employees, who have been working tirelessly to safeguard the health and well-being of the community. He also expressed his gratitude to all Chinese Hospital supporters.

“I am honored and humbled to be elected as the chair of the 2021 Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees. 2020 was a very challenging year, I am grateful to be the board chair to lead the board through the difficult year and made significant accomplishments through working collaboratively with the management team,” said Mr. Chan.
Mr. Chan also highlighted some accomplishments during 2020, including:
• Successfully safeguarded the Chinese community by providing education, testing, tracking, treating and vaccinating services in collaboration with San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), community leaders, media and many other elected officials and community partners.
• Outperformed most of other similar community hospitals nationwide with a positive bottom line in 2020 as a result of opening 2nd floor, elevating Emergency Department to basic services, and opening a cancer center.
• Received national and local mainstream media coverage for its COVID-19 community leadership efforts and successes, including New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, KQED, KPIX, and PBS, in addition to Chinese media outlets World Journal, Sing Tao Daily, China Press, and KTSF26. This coverage provided valuable exposure for Chinese Hospital and highlighted how we met the needs of our community.
Mr. Chan added, “2021 remains challenging and a lot more needs to be done to ensure Chinese Hospital’s financial stability so we can continue to safeguard the community.” Chinese Hospital will sustain and lead community efforts to provide COVID-related services to our community, and continue to collaborate with the city, key healthcare players in San Francisco and other physician groups to develop new clinical services, programs, and referral lines. In 2021, patient safety along with providing excellent patient experience remains our top priority. We will continue to improve the quality of care, as well as enhance our financial viability.
Chinese Hospital is a small community-owned nonprofit hospital and is here purely to serve the community. Over the years, we have played an important role in keeping our community as healthy as possible, especially in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.
At the end of the speech, Mr. Chan sincerely hopes that the community continues to support Chinese Hospital by using hospital and clinics’ services for their medical needs and selecting CCHP as their health plan. By continue working together, Chinese Hospital will grow and emerge stronger than ever in 2021.

Media Contact:
Jenni Lau
[email protected]
1-415-677-2378

After nearly a year of leading the community through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Chinese Hospital is proud to take part in the public health vaccination efforts and administer the COVID-19 vaccine for its community. The COVID-19 vaccine has been considered the best form of defense against the virus and will be the first major step towards economic recovery and return to normalcy.

In accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chinese Hospital has provided initial vaccinations to its staff, physicians, and other high-risk healthcare workers in the Chinatown community, a two-dose process. As distribution recommendations continue to evolve, Chinese Hospital is beginning to vaccinate the broader community, starting with its most vulnerable patients ages 75 and older with pre-existing health conditions.

“Given how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is, we know everyone is eager and anxious to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Jian Zhang, Chinese Hospital CEO. “Because vaccine distribution has been logistically challenging for everyone, Chinese Hospital’s vaccine supply has been very limited. However, we will be able to vaccine more people as we receive more vaccines from local and state health authorities. Once that happens, Chinese Hospital will be ready to quickly begin vaccinating individuals ages 65 and older, followed by other groups as recommended.”

“Chinese Hospital has been here safeguarding the community since day 1 by delivering community education, offering access to testing, and providing care and treatment to all patients,” said Kitman Chan, Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees Chairman. “We want to assure the public that our focus now extends to making sure you have access to the vaccine when it is your turn. We ask for your cooperation and patience and in the meantime, please continue to wear your mask and practice social-distancing to protect yourself and your family during this concerning COVID-19 surge.”

To receive updates on the COVID-19 vaccine, please be sure to follow Chinese Hospital on Wechat (ID: ChineseHospital-SF) where we will communicate key vaccine updates. Additional information will also be available on our COVID-19 webpage (www.chinesehospital-sf.org/covid19-resources).

Media Contact:

Jenni Lau

[email protected]

1-415-677-2378

The pandemic has caused millions of people to lose their jobs and for many, that has meant losing their employer-sponsored health insurance as well. As part of its continued efforts to safeguard the community from the impacts of COVID-19, Chinese Hospital, in collaboration with CCHP, Jade Health Care Medical Group (Jade), and Chinese Community Health Resource Center (CCHRC), is offering in-person and remote enrollment services to help those who lost their insurance coverage during the pandemic apply for subsidized or no cost health insurance.

“Most of the people who are uninsured do not know they are eligible for financial assistance,” said Dr. Jian Zhang, CEO of Chinese Hospital. “If you have lost employment or have reduced income due to the pandemic, you may be eligible for financial assistance through Covered California; or qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal. We encourage anyone who needs coverage to contact us and sign up. In California, there is a tax penalty for being uninsured. Health insurance gives you peace of mind during the crisis and also helps you avoid the fine.”

Dr. Zhang added, “We offer bilingual services and resources. Anyone is welcome to contact us, and we will guide him or her through the process and the available resources here. Whichever plan you select, you will enjoy comprehensive health benefits that also cover COVID-19-related care and COVID-19 vaccines”

“We want the community to know that Chinese Hospital Health System is here to help you through this difficult time,” said Ms. Joyce Cheng, Executive Director of CCHRC. “In addition to providing COVID-19 health education during the pandemic, we also offer virtual educational seminars and individualized counseling to help people determine what health insurance and financial assistance they qualify for. We are also available in-person to assist you with the enrollment process in multiple locations including Chinatown, Portola, Excelsior, Sunset, and in Daly City.”

“Many of my patients have been financially impacted by the pandemic and are struggling to keep their health insurance. I am pleased that Chinese Hospital Health System is supporting our patients and community by offering financial counseling and enrollment services at no-cost to them. We all know having health insurance is critical to maintaining good health and particularly important during the pandemic,” said Dr. Weiwen Zheng, one of many community-minded Jade physicians.

To learn more about whether you qualify for subsidized or low-cost healthcare coverage, please contact us at 1-415-677-2473, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Media Contact:

Jenni Lau

[email protected]

1-415-677-2378

[fancy_box box_style=”image_above_text_underline” image_url=”7330″ image_aspect_ratio=”4-5″ content_color=”#000000″ border_radius=”default” image_loading=”default” enable_animation=”true” animation=”fade-in-from-right” image_size=”large” delay=”500″]12/31/2020

Donor List (08/2019 to 09/2020)
Thank you very much to our generous donors.[/fancy_box]

On Friday, December 18th, Chinese Hospital began its first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations for its frontline healthcare workers, who have protected and cared for the community since the onset of the pandemic. The administered vaccines were developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, the first FDA authorized vaccine that has proven to be 95% effective in protecting against COVID-19.

“We are urging all our medical and frontline staff to receive the vaccine as soon as possible because the vaccine is our community’s best defense again COVID-19,” said Dr. Justin Quock, Chief Medical Officer of Chinese Hospital. “COVID-19 vaccines require two doses, given several weeks apart, to be fully effective.”
“We have developed a tracking system to track who has received the first dose and when they’ll need the second dose. Per state and local guidance, the next phase of vaccinations will be for other hospital & medical staff, community physicians, and essential healthcare workers in the Chinatown community,” said Gina Yam, Director of Operations of Chinese Hospital.

“The virus has killed over 21,000 people in California. After battling the pandemic for almost a year, we can see the light in the tunnel as the first round of COVID-19 vaccines is administered in our community,” said Dr. Jian Zhang, Chinese Hospital CEO. “We hope the vaccine can put the outbreak to an end, restore our economy, and help everyone get back to normal life.”

One of the first person to be vaccinated at Chinese Hospital is Mr. Marcus Leung, a nurse who has been taking care of COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic. “I’m very honored and excited to be the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine at Chinese Hospital,” said Marcus. “I would like to thank Chinese Hospital for making this possible and providing the vaccine so quickly to protect the frontline staff and our patients. Since the beginning, Chinese Hospital has strived to ensure that my colleagues and I have been adequately protected by providing PPE, and now by offering the vaccine.”

Chinese Hospital will work closely with leaders and partners from the city, the state, and community to develop a community vaccination program. Our goal is to ensure everyone in the community will have access to the vaccination when it is widely available.

“It is just the beginning, and there is still a long march ahead,” said Dr. Zhang. “It is important to remember that the virus is still in our community, so we must remain vigilant without lowering our guard. Masking and social distancing are just as important tomorrow as it was yesterday. I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of our physicians, nurses, and staff who have been working tirelessly to safeguard our community during this time of crisis.”

Media Contact:

Jenni Lau

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1-415-677-2378

Dr. Jian Zhang, CEO of Chinese Hospital, the only one in the United States and one of San Francisco’s critical healthcare providers, is one of 230 distinguished nurse leaders from around the globe selected by the American Academy of Nursing (Academy) to join the 2020 Class of Fellows. Dr. Zhang will be recognized for her significant contributions to health care at the Academy’s annual Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference, taking place virtually October 29-31, 2020. Through a competitive and rigorous process, the new fellows are selected based on their impressive contributions to healthcare by a committee of elected Fellows.

“I am humbled by the Academy’s selection and recognition,” said Jian Zhang, CEO, Chinese Hospital. “I believe an Academy fellow has a responsibility to engage with nursing leaders to advance nursing as a profession; collaborate with other healthcare leaders and lead the transformation of America’s health system.”

“I am honored to welcome this exceptional class to the American Academy of Nursing. Their work, across many fields of expertise, exemplifies the power of nursing knowledge in creating meaningful change,” said Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN. “As a policy organization, we strive to improve health and achieve health equity through nursing leadership, innovation, and science. Growing the Academy’s Fellowship bolsters our collective strength and further enables us to meet our policy priorities. Now, more than ever, our collaboration is critical and I am excited to congratulate this dynamic class of Fellows during the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.”

“Dr. Zhang is the quintessential nursing leader and healthcare executive who has had a significant and sustained impact on practice, policy, research, and education,” said Judith Karshmer, Dean and Professor of Arizona State University, Edson College of Nursing, “I highly recommended her as a Fellow of AAN. I have worked closely with Dr. Zhang for over 10 years, initially as a student in the Executive Leadership DNP program at USF and subsequently as a colleague and partnership advancing an international initiative with nursing programs in China.”

“Dr. Zhang has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions in clinical practice, research, and policy by advancing one of the largest health care systems for low-income Asian immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area and by strengthening the nursing care and education system in both the US and China,” said Jyulin Chen, Department Chair and Professor at UCSF, School of Nursing. “Dr. Zhang and I have been working on education curriculum development and nursing research projects focused on decreasing health disparities in obesity and breast cancer in Asian Immigrants. I strongly believe she will be a valued asset to the Academy.”

“On behalf of the Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees, I want to congratulate Dr. Zhang for being selected as a Fellow by the American Academy of Nursing,” said Kitman Chan, Chinese Hospital Board Chairman. “It is wonderful to have one of the 2700 FAAN fellows be the CEO of the historic Chinese Hospital, which provides high quality of care to our community.”

Media Contact:

Jenni Lau

[email protected]

1-415-677-2378

California is enduring an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But one community has succeeded at keeping the virus at bay — offering potential lessons on how early action on the pandemic can change outcomes. Meiying Wu and Alyson Stamos, reporters at the Graduate School of Journalism at University of California, Berkeley, share this story from San Francisco’s Chinatown.

Read the Full Transcript

• Amna Nawaz:

  We are staying in California now, where, as we just heard, new outbreaks are leading to a steady increase of infections and deaths.

  But one community you’re about to see is so far succeeding in keeping the virus at bay, offering potential lessons on what happens when you start taking action early.

  This story comes to us from Meiying Wu and Alyson Stamos, reporters at the University of California Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.

  Here’s their report.

• Alyson Stamos:

  The Chinese New Year’s celebration this past February in San Francisco was a time of excitement, but also a time of fear.

  The coronavirus was spreading rapidly across China. And the first case had just been detected in the United States, causing alarm.

• Jian Zhang:

  We can have an outbreak in Chinatown because we have a lot of people going back to China for Chinese new year.

• Alyson Stamos:

  Jian Zhang is the CEO of Chinese Hospital, an acute care facility in the heart of San Francisco’s Chinatown. The neighborhood was poised for disaster, 15,000 people living in approximately 22 blocks, making it one of the densest neighborhoods west of Manhattan.

  To make matters worse, most of its residents are elderly, living in cramped single-room occupancy hotels, called SROs.

• Yongfaz Zhu (through translator):

  Our room is very small in the SRO. It’s about 70 square feet.

• Yongfaz Zhu:

  We have little space in here besides the bed. We don’t have our own kitchen. We don’t have our own restroom.

• Alyson Stamos:

  The virus can spread easily here. Shared spaces like these have led to some of the deadliest outbreaks in the country. At Chinese Hospital, they planned for the worst.

• Alyson Stamos:

  Since January, only two Chinatown residents have been hospitalized here. And there have been fewer than 20 cases of COVID-19 in the neighborhood, accounting for one of the lowest rates in the entire city.

  Zhang says it was all about preparation.

• Jian Zhang:

  Because the outbreak happened in China first, so they learned a lot of lessons. We don’t have to go through that in order to learn what to do.

• Alyson Stamos:

  In January, Zhang’s staff was already masking respiratory patients outside the hospital to avoid transmission. Her network in China has shipped palates of PPE to Chinese Hospital in San Francisco. Now there is a overflow.

  And they are helping mobilize others. As early as February 1, Zhang teamed up with community leaders and city officials to give some of the earliest education on hygiene and sanitation.

• Man:

  We can stop this virus.

• Alyson Stamos:

  Local Chinese media shared the preventative messages widely.

• Chi Wing Pau (through translator):

  Our community realized the potential risk for an outbreak early on because a lot of us experienced the SARS outbreak. A lot of people died.

• Alyson Stamos:

  Chi Wing Pau, manager of Far East Cafe, one the largest restaurants in Chinatown, shared information with his coworkers and customers.

• Chi Wing Pau (through translator):

  I hung up the flyers in the restrooms, kitchen, and outside the restaurant. I also told our staff everything I learned on how to prevent infection.

• Alyson Stamos:

  The restaurant is closed for business right now. They are instead using the kitchen to further keep the virus at bay.

• Chi Wing Pau (through translator):

  We’re making a few hundred meals a day for elderly residents in the SRO. This helps minimize using the shared kitchen and the chance of being infected.

• Alyson Stamos:

  It has, in some ways, been the simple things that have kept the infection rate low, hot meals, more hand sanitizer and increased cleaning.

• Yongfa Zhu (through translator):

  They clean the kitchen, bathrooms and the floor twice a day in our building. We stay in our rooms as much as possible because we’re scared.

• Alyson Stamos:

  Recently, Chinese Hospital gave free tests to residents in Zhu’s building.

• Yongfa Zhu (through translator):

  I’m still afraid. There have been cases in other SROs in the city, so we have to be more careful.

  If anyone tests positive, we can quarantine that person. It’s beneficial to the person, because they can get treated, and it can protect others, too.

• Alyson Stamos:

  All 32 residents in Zhu’s building who participated tested negative for the coronavirus. And testing continues. Getting ahead of any infection will be essential for the eventual reopening of the neighborhood.

  For the “PBS NewsHour,” I’m Alyson Stamos in San Francisco.

By Sharon Chin | June 1, 2020 at 4:37 pmSAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — One of San Francisco’s most densely populated neighborhoods — considered a high risk for the spread of COVID-19 — managed to stay ahead of the curve with the over a century-old Chinese Hospital leading the way.

San Francisco Chinatown was considered a potential COVID-19 hot spot, where thousands of people cram into single room occupancy residences called SROs.

“We were worried,” said Chinese Hospital CEO Dr. Jian Zhang.

Zhang realized the serious risk early on when China deployed doctors to COVID-19’s ground zero in Wuhan, during Chinese New Year, a major holiday.

“You don’t leave family unless something is really important, something is really bad,” Zhang noted.

The hospital’s doctors like Jennifer Chen recognized Bay Area infections could explode.

“A lot of our patients go back and forth between China, Hong Kong as well as the United States,” Dr. Chen said.

Two months before San Francisco sheltered in place, Dr. Zhang pleaded for PPE over social media. Donations from China and the U.S. poured in.

“It was overwhelming support from people all over the world,” she said.

And on local Chinese language media, the hospital spread the word on washing hands and social distancing.

Patient and hospital donor Arthur Chan listened.

“Jian convinced me use a face mask. I’m very stubborn, I don’t want to use it,” Chan said.

The result: only a handful of COVID-19 infections ended up at Chinese Hospital.

So far, several patients who tested positive recovered at home. The emergency room admitted several others, including some seniors citizens aged 68 years and older.

Dr. Ziang says all of them survived. And none of the patients lived in Chinatown.

“We’re really blessed Chinese Hospital doesn’t have an outbreak,” Dr. Zhang said.

In addition, the response to COVID-19 is an example of how Chinese Hospital is extending its reach.

It took in patients from Zuckerberg General Hospital to free up space for COVID admissions.

121-year-old Chinese Hospital has been undergoing a multi-million dollar improvement project over the past several years.

It added patient beds, upgraded the emergency room, opened a new cancer center and gastrointestinal clinic, and expanded same-day surgeries.

“We want to reach all the members of our community, not just the Asians,” Dr. Chen said.

Still, the hospital remains committed to the Chinese community.

For example, there was concern that half the people who died of COVID-19 in the city were Asian American.

So the hospital recently launched a pilot program with the health department offering free COVID-19 testing and health tracking to SRO tenants in Chinatown.

The hospital said 32 people in one SRO on Waverly Place tested negative last week. The program will continue to expand to other SROs to prevent an outbreak of the virus.

“It’s not over,” said Dr. Zhang. “How do we continue to keep the community safe?”

That remains a focus as the nation’s only independent hospital built by and for the Chinese community keeps its sights on patient care on the streets of Chinatown and beyond.