Nov 14, 2021
The Honorable and Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr recently accepted the invitation to serve as an advisor to the Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees. Mayor Brown will be the first to serve in this newly created role.
As the committee co-chair of Chinese Hospital’s perennial Charity Golf Tournament, Mayor Brown has been a strong supporter of the Chinese Hospital community for many decades. In his expanded role as Board Advisor, Mayor Brown will be working closely with Board members and advising on long-term strategies for the Hospital and government relations.
“It’s an honor to be invited to serve as an Advisor for the Chinese Hospital,” said Mayor Brown. “This healthcare institution earned high marks from the City for its very professional and caring participation in the pandemic crisis facing our city. As the only independent hospital in San Francisco, it presents the most flexible opportunity for quality healthcare for the whole city.”
Mayor Brown will provide guidance and advice to Chinese Hospital as the Hospital vigorously regroups and plans for its future beyond the pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Chinese Hospital has been leading the efforts in preventing COVID-19 transmission through education and testing; responding to community outbreaks; providing clinical support and linkage of care; and administering vaccinations. As a result of its leadership during this critical time, Chinatown was consistently reported as having one of the lowest case positivity rates throughout the pandemic and was also among the areas with the highest vaccination rates in San Francisco.
“On behalf of the Board, I am excited to welcome Mayor Brown to guide our team forward,” said Chinese Hospital Board Chairman Kitman Chan. “For decades, Mayor Brown has made significant contributions to Chinese Hospital and our community. In his new role, Mayor Brown will be a tremendous asset to us as he brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership that will strengthen our organization and our work in the community.”
“I am pleased that Mayor Brown has accepted our invitation to serve as an advisor to complement and enhance our community board with his unique expertise as a visionary leader,” said Chinese Hospital CEO Dr. Jian Zhang. “Chinese Hospital is a nonprofit hospital that was established by the community and to serve the community. I would like to emphasize this point–Chinese Hospital is owned by the community, which is why it is crucial that every one of us steps up and supports Chinese Hospital so it can continue to safeguard the community for another 122 years,” Dr. Zhang further stated, “The best way that the community can support the Hospital is to use our services or enroll in our health plan, CCHP.”
“Chinese Hospital is not just a hospital, it’s a part of our Asian American history,” Dr. Zhang added.
In the late 1800’s, Chinese Hospital was founded to serve the Chinese railroad workers who were denied access to health care and were blamed for spreading tuberculosis. Today the Hospital is leading the fight against the pandemic and anti-Asian hate crimes, at a time when the virus is being called “the Chinese virus” and used against the Asian community.
