Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation

Kheir Clinic Koreatown Frontline Crisis — Assisting 60-100/Day with Medi-Cal Navigation, Expanded Patient Resources Staff 25-30%

American Community Media reported May 20, 2026 that Kheir Clinic in Koreatown is now assisting 60-100 people/day in person with Medi-Cal enrollment, eligibility loss appeals, and DPSS food assistance — a frontline measurement of the chilling effect from federal immigration enforcement + the UIS enrollment freeze. Kheir expanded its Patient Resources Department staffing 25-30% and extended hours including Saturdays. Concrete data points: (1) English-only renewal notices are blocking Korean/Spanish/Thai/Bengali-speaking patients; (2) language barrier compounds with anxiety about disclosing immigration status; (3) operational cost FQHCs are absorbing to navigate enrollment as the state retreats. This is the kind of patient-story documentation that boards and policy-makers need to see — concrete data, named clinic, measurable workload increase. Strategic implication for FQHC executives: (1) Track your own Patient Resources / eligibility navigation volume month-over-month — Kheir's 25-30% staff increase suggests this is sector-wide; (2) Bill what you can — Medi-Cal Application Assistance Program reimbursement is available for some enrollment work; (3) Use Kheir's documentation as a model for board reports and CHCF/CPCA testimony; (4) Coordinate Korean / Asian language clinic outreach with AAPCHO and partner FQHCs (Asian Health Services, Operation Samahan, KHEIR, APHCV, Buddhist Tzu Chi).