The Free Clinic will be feted at the 2018 Salute to Excellence Gala to be held Friday, January 26, 2018 from 6:00pm-10:00pm at The Vineyards, located at 2525 Stow St. The event will feature cocktails, dinner, dancing and casino games. Also being celebrated are:

• 2017 Business Person of the Year: Alex Gandel
• 2017 Business of the Year: Cal State Site Services
• 2017 Community Volunteer of the Year: Barbara Glodfelty
• 2017 Strathearn Lifetime Achievement Award: Gary White
• 2017 Chamber of Commerce Board Chair: Celina Zacarias
• 2017 Chamber of Commerce Board Chair: Maggie Kestly

RSVP for Gala: Click Here

Full Nominating Statement for the Free Clinic of Simi Valley:

The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has served the community since 1971. It currently provides individuals and families in need with free medical, legal, counseling and dental services. 

In 2016, while celebrating its 45th Anniversary, the Free Clinic saw almost 4,000 individuals, equivalent to over 14,700 client contacts between its four service areas - medical, legal, counseling and dental. All of these services were provided through a network of over 160 mostly local volunteers and five staff members. The Dental Clinic is one of the only places in Southern California that provides free comprehensive dental services. The Clinic even has an in-home dental program for Seniors 60+. Many of the clients of the Free Clinic have nowhere else to go for help. 

Besides providing excellent care to its patients and clients, the Free Clinic serves as a training facility for doctors from two esteemed Kaiser Permanente training programs - Kaiser Permanente Family Resident Program and Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Program. As of 2016, the Free Clinic has trained over 88 residents. Additionally, the the Free Clinic provides internship training for Marriage and Family Therapists, many of whom continue to practice in Simi Valley. To date, over 56 therapists who have interned at the Free Clinic have become licensed MFTs. 

The Clinic is a partner with Adventist Health Simi Valley in providing a health safety net for the community. The Free Clinic does not receive payments or reimbursements from Federal, State or Local government. The Free Clinic relies entirely on the generosity of individual donors, businesses, service clubs, churches and foundations. Moreover, the Free Clinic is not supported by any national parent corporation or foundation. 

​The Free Clinic is proud to be the only Simi Valley based charity to achieve the level of GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant, a ranking for financial and ethical transparency among 501(c)(3) organizations. 

2016 and 2017 were especially tough years for the Free Clinic due to the collapse of the long awaited "Under One Roof" project. Based on the driving force of the Free Clinic and its Board, the Free Clinic looks forward to the opening of the new "Multi-Services Center," which will not only allow the Clinic to combine its two facilities into one, providing greater efficiency in service delivery, but will also allow the expansion into services, such as optometry, while providing offices to seven additional Simi Valley charities. 

SIMI VALLEY, CA – The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has announced that Jill L. Haney has joined the Clinic’s Board of Directors.
 
Haney, Vice President and Branch Manager of the El Paseo Office of Union Bank has known about the Free Clinic for many years. “I have always been impressed with the Free Clinic and the work they do,” said Haney, “I was very honored to be asked to join [the Board].” She is impressed with all the work the Clinic does – medical, dental, legal and counseling – and says she has referred friends to the Clinic for assistance.
 
“The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has relied on Jill and Union Bank for its banking services for several years,” said Free Clinic Executive Director Fred Bauermeister. “We’re glad that she has decided to enhance the relationship by becoming part of the Free Clinic family.” The admiration for Fred is and Clinic is mutual. “I really admire Fred and his dedication to the Clinic,” said Haney.
 
Besides the Free Clinic, Haney also serves on several other Boards, including the Simi Valley Hospital Foundation, the United Way of Ventura County and the Moorpark College Foundation. Haney is also a member of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. She feels that her experience on past Boards and financial experience will be an asset to the Free Clinic.
 
Haney is a resident of Westlake Village and has lived in the Conejo Valley since 1959. Haney is a graduate of Thousand Oaks High School and Moorpark College. She has one son and three loveable grandchildren.
 
In addition to Haney, the Free Clinic of Simi Valley’s Board of Directors includes Mané Berbel, Best Valley Insurance; Vincent Dulcich, Aerospace Executive, Retired; Kurt Fredrickson, Vice President, Fuller Theological Seminary; Don Erickson, Litigation Attorney; Kelly Gaines, Homemaker and Community Volunteer, Rev. Ron Hyrchuk, Simi Valley Hospital; Maggie Kestly, Mid Valley Properties; John Lindsey, Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management; Don Sturt, Keller Williams Realty; Harry VanDyck, CPA, Retired; Polly Vlasic, Registered Nurse, Retired; Phyllis Wilson, MA MFT; Curt Witeby, Insurance West; Dr. Tracey Young, Free Clinic of Simi Valley and Fred W. Bauermeister, Executive Director, Free Clinic of Simi Valley.
 
About The Free Clinic of Simi Valley The Free Clinic of Simi Valley, celebrating its 45th Anniversary in 2016 has provided continuous service since its establishment in 1971 as a non-profit, volunteer-based charitable community service organization. The mission of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is to provide medical care, counseling, dental, and legal assistance to individuals and families in need, regardless of their ability to pay. This includes those of all ages, ethnicities, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, who are unable to use traditional sources within the community. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is a GuideStar Gold Exchange participant, a status awarded for exemplary nonprofit transparency.
 
For more information, visit: www.FreeClinicSV.com and follow the Free Clinic on Facebook www.Facebook.com/FreeClinicSV, Instagram at www.Instagram.com/FreeClinicSimi
 and on Twitter www.Twitter.com/FreeClinicSimi

​SIMI VALLEY, CA (July 21, 2016) – The Free Clinic of Simi Valley, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente for over nine years, is welcoming its newest class of resident doctors for the 2016-2017 term, and saying farewell to those graduating from their respective programs.  Since 2007, the Free Clinic has partnered with two of Kaiser Permanente’s training programs, the Woodland Hills Family Medicine Residency Program and the Pharmacy Residency Program.
 
The Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Family Medicine Residency Program partners with a number of local “safety net” clinics like the Free Clinic of Simi Valley to provide medical services to the underserved. Kaiser Permanente resident physicians volunteer at the Free Clinic on a rotating basis throughout their three years of training.
 
A Chicago native, Dr. Heather Washington, moved to Southern California three years ago. Washington is a graduate from University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She completed her residency at Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills while volunteering at the Free Clinic before becoming the Free Clinic’s attending physician. Dr. Tracey Young has served as the attending physician with the Free Clinic in the 2015-2016 term. She has also joined the Board of Directors of the Free Clinic. Dr. Young is looking forward to the birth of her first child and plans on continuing with Kaiser Permanente after her maternity leave.
 
The Free Clinic of Simi Valley says congratulations and farewell to graduating residents from the Family Medicine Residency Program: Dr. Jasmin Gooden, Dr. Abe Malkin, Dr. Mark Novak, Dr. Yogi Patel, and Dr. Tung Tran; and from the Pharmacy Residency program: Dr. Joel Christian, Dr. Lillianna Sherman, Dr. Carrie Wong and Dr. Jessica Wu.
 
About The Free Clinic of Simi Valley The Free Clinic of Simi Valley, celebrating its 45th Anniversary in 2016 has provided continuous service since its establishment in 1971 as a non-profit, volunteer-based charitable community service organization. The mission of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is to provide medical care, counseling, dental, and legal assistance to individuals and families in need, regardless of their ability to pay. This includes those of all ages, ethnicities, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, who are unable to use traditional sources within the community. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is a GuideStar Gold Exchange participant, a status awarded for exemplary nonprofit transparency.
 
For more information, visit: www.FreeClinicSV.com and follow the Free Clinic on Facebook www.Facebook.com/FreeClinicSV , Instagram at www.Instagram.com/FreeClinicSimi and on Twitter www.Twitter.com/FreeClinicSimi
 
About Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to:kp.org/share.

Dr. Tracey Young, Attending Physician and Board Member of the Free Clinic and Kaiser Permanente doctor, participated in EAT PLAY LEARN at Rancho Simi Park. The event was sponsored by the City of Simi Valley Public Library.

There were about 20 children. Dr. Young taught the children about eating healthy snacks and good exercise. Kids played 'Health Tag' where a child that is tagged must name two healthy foods or activities. The children also made a healthy craft item - a wild bird seed feeder and ate a healthy lunch. 

A great fun and educational day!

​(Left to Right) Dr. Jessica Wu, Dr. Lillianna Sherman, Dr. Joel Christian and Dr. Carrie Wong.

The Free Clinic of Simi Valley says congratulations and farewell to graduating residents from the Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy Residency program. For almost 10 years, the Free Clinic of Simi Valley has partnered with Kaiser Permanente in the training of outstanding doctors. An celebratory event was held at the The Junkyard Cafe on June 30. Congratulations to recent graduates: Dr. Jessica Wu, Dr. Lillianna Sherman, Dr. Joel Christian and Dr. Carrie Wong.

SIMI VALLEY, CA – The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is proud to announce that two of its medical clinic volunteers, Caitlin Takeda, a Senior of Oak Park High School, and Elliot Kang, a Senior of Harvard-Westlake in Studio City, are both continuing their studies in the medical field at Brown University.
 
Caitlin Takeda has volunteered at the Free Clinic a little over six years. She has been accepted to the Liberal Medical Education Program, concentrating in Biology and Visual Art with a guaranteed spot to follow in the Brown Warren Alpert School of Medicine. Takeda credits the volunteers, physicians, and patients with making the volunteer experience worthwhile and engaging. “The patients at the Clinic are so appreciative, humble and kindhearted,” said Takeda. Takeda credits the guidance of Clinic Administrator, Lupita Gonzalez, for creating a warm and welcoming environment at the Clinic. “I love receiving a big hug from her each week; she is like a second mom to me.”
 
Elliot Kang has volunteered at the Clinic for a little over two years. Kang is headed to Brown University to study Public Health. As a Free Clinic volunteer, Kang has worked in the front office answering phones, inputting patient information in the electronic health system, and making appointments. He also takes patient vitals and shadows doctors. Kang, like Takeda, credits the friendly environment and the Clinic volunteers’ dedication to doing their very best to help the patients as the reason he enjoys volunteering at the Clinic. Elliot says he also wants to change the healthcare paradigm to be more inclusive and effective as often times there is a stigma attached to seeking services at a free clinic.
 
Both Takeda and Kang have been every involved in health and medical extracurricular activities all throughout high school. Caitlin was the president of the Oak Park Future Med Club and was a chapter co-founder of Oak Park’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Elliot was one of the founders of the Health Awareness Club at Harvard-Westlake. The Health Awareness Club provides education to fellow students on such subjects as the importance of organ donation and proper nutrition. The Club hosts a school blood drive and members also volunteer at many health events.
 
Takeda cites her volunteer activities with the Free Clinic as being critical in helping her gain admission to her desired course of study at Brown. “I didn't need years of expensive college counseling to get into college because there's something genuine about volunteering at a free clinic that college admissions officers notice,” said Takeda. Kang said that having the Clinic on his application helped him emphasize how he wanted to “help the community and serve others through medicine.”
 
Beyond granting training experience to high school students like Takeda and Kang, the Free Clinic offers several opportunities for training and experience for various professional careers. According to Executive Director Fred Bauermeister, the Free Clinic offers training for individuals interested in becoming licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Family Practice Physicians and Ambulatory Care Pharmacists through various programs. “We are happy that we can both provide a valuable service to the community and an opportunity to train professionals,” said Bauermeister, “and future professionals like Caitlin and Elliot.”
 
About the Free Clinic of Simi Valley The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has provided continuous service since its establishment in 1971 as a non-profit, volunteer-based charitable community service organization. The mission of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is to provide medical care, counseling, dental, and legal assistance to individuals and families in need, regardless of their ability to pay. This includes those of all ages, ethnicities, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, who are unable to use traditional resources within the community. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is a GuideStar Gold Exchange participant. For more information, visit: www.FreeClinicSV.com and follow the Free Clinic on Facebook www.Facebook.com/FreeClinicSV, on Twitter www.Twitter.com/FreeClinicSimi and on Instagram at http://www.Instagram.com/FreeClinicSimi

New Hummingbird Nest Ranch Owner and Billionaire Philanthropist Kieu Hoang Makes Large Donations to the Free Clinic of Simi Valley and the Samaritan Center
 
CEO & Chairman of RAAS (Rare Antibody Antigen Supply Inc.) wants to make a big impact on the health of the local community.​

​Philanthropist Kieu Hoang receives a tour of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley.
Pictured Left – Right: Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna Royo, Miss World Chairwoman and CEO Julia Morley, CEO & Chairman of RAAS Kieu Hoang, Free Clinic of Simi Valley Executive Director Fred Bauermeister, Free Clinic Board President Ron Hyrchuk and Free Clinic Board Member Don Sturt.

SIMI VALLEY, CA – The Free Clinic of Simi Valley announced today that it has received a $20,000 donation, coordinated by the Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley, from billionaire philanthropist, Kieu Hoang. Hoang, a successful Vietnamese-American entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, visited the Clinic with Mireia Lalaguna Royo, Ms. World 2015, Chairwoman and CEO of Miss World, Julia Morley, along with representatives of the Kiwanis Club, to personally donate to the Clinics’ operation. Additionally, Hoang presented a $20,000 donation to The Samaritan Center of Simi Valley. 
 
Hoang, in past interviews has said that he wants to “cure the world.” He has pledged 20% of his net worth to charities on projects where he can see the results. Hoang’s focus is to see a direct return for each charitable investment.This is part of the reason for visiting the Free Clinic and the Samaritan City personally – to view the operations in action. While touring the Clinic, Hoang remarked that he likes the fact that the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is actually “free.”
 
Free Clinic of Simi Valley Board President, Chaplain Ron Hyrchuk, Executive Director Fred Bauermeister, and Free Clinic Board Member and Kiwanis member Don Sturt, were on hand to receive the generous donation from Mr. Hoang. “We are so grateful to have a generous and visionary new partner that will join the community of benevolent local organizations like the Kiwanis in helping Simi Valley to become a happier and healthier community,” said Bauermeister. 
 
Kieu Hoang is the CEO of RAAS Nutritionals LLC, based in Agoura Hills. The company researches plasma, healthcare, animal and plant care, and energy projects. According to Forbes Magazine, Kieu Hoang, 72, is the “Richest Newcomer” to the Forbes 400, coming in at #149 in 2015 with a net worth of $3.8 billion.
 
Hoang started out from very humble beginnings in the U.S., as a Vietnamese refugee who had served as a combat translator during the war. Hoang’s family’s immigration was sponsored by the Westlake Village Women’s Club and the United Methodist Church of Westlake Village. A church member who worked at Abbott Laboratories gave him his first job in the U.S. as an entry-level lab technician at $1.25 an hour.  
 
Fast forward to 1980, Hoang with his laboratory and plasma knowledge branched out on his own his own blood plasma company, RAAS, acquiring blood plasma centers across the U.S. By the late 1980’s, Hoang began expanding globally to China vaulting him into the multi-billionaire level and onto the Forbes list.
 
Hoang, having recently purchased the Hummingbird Nest Ranch in eastern Simi Valley, wants to make an impact on the surrounding community. According to sources, Hoang plans to have portion of the newly acquired Hummingbird Nest Ranch eventually become a wellness center for cancer patients. Additionally, he hopes to use the property to showcase his other business ventures such as wines from his exclusive Kieu Hoang Winery and introduce international clients to the area.
 
About the Free Clinic of Simi Valley The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has provided continuous service since its establishment in 1971 as a non-profit, volunteer-based charitable community service organization. The mission of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is to provide medical care, counseling, dental, and legal assistance to individuals and families in need, regardless of their ability to pay. This includes those of all ages, ethnicities, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, who are unable to use traditional sources within the community.  The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is a GuideStar Gold Exchange participant.  For more information, visit: www.FreeClinicSV.com and follow the Free Clinic on Facebook www.Facebook.com/FreeClinicSV, on Twitter www.Twitter.com/FreeClinicSimi and on Instagram at http://www.Instagram.com/FreeClinicSimi

SIMI VALLEY, CA – The Free Clinic of Simi Valley announced that Kelly Gaines and Dr. Tracey Young have joined to the Clinic’s Board of Directors.

​Kelly Gaines, homemaker and community volunteer, became aware of the Free Clinic through her father-in-law, the late Dr. Elvin Gaines, who was a volunteer at the Clinic as well. Kelly Gaines is a member of the Rotary Club of Simi Valley (Noontime) and is Finance Chair for the Ventura Community Leadership Council for the American Cancer Society. Gaines says she “admires the passion and commitment of the volunteers,” and says she hopes to bring more support to the volunteers and staff of the Clinic by generating more awareness of the importance of the Clinic in the community. Gaines has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Pacific Union College. She is a native of Simi Valley, who moved away, but returned in 2009. She is married to Darin Gaines, has an 11 year old daughter, Emma, and a puppy named Ella.
 
Dr. Tracey Young is currently the attending physician at the Free Clinic. Daily, she is on the front line, seeing to the medical needs of the thousands of patients that seek treatment at the Clinic. Young feels that she can bring the Board great insights into the most critical needs of the Clinic. When asked what Dr. Young admires most about the Free Clinic, she said it is that the patients consider the Clinic to be theirs, “One man fixed the sink, one helps clean, they take ownership.” Young received her undergraduate degree from USC and attended medical school at George Washington University, where she applied for a rotation through UCLA, bringing her back to California and into the Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine Residency Program. Young was a resident physician at the Free Clinic before becoming a Community Medicine Fellow and the current attending physician at the Clinic. Dr. Young and her husband, Ace, live in West Los Angeles, with their two cats, Moxifloxacin (Moxi) and Rocuronium (Rocky).
 
In addition to Gaines and Young, the Free Clinic of Simi Valley’s board of directors includes Mané Berbel, Best Valley Insurance; Vincent Dulcich, Aerospace Executive, Retired; Kurt Fredrickson, Vice President, Fuller Theological Seminary; Don Erickson, Litigation Attorney; Rev. Ron Hyrchuk, Simi Valley Hospital; Maggie Kestly, Mid Valley Properties; John Lindsey, Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management; Don Sturt, Keller Williams Realty; Harry VanDyck, CPA, Retired; Polly Vlasic, Registered Nurse, Retired; Phyllis Wilson, MA MFT; Curt Witeby, Insurance West; and Fred W. Bauermeister, Executive Director, Free Clinic of Simi Valley.
 
About The Free Clinic of Simi Valley The Free Clinic of Simi Valley, celebrating its 45th Anniversary in 2016 has provided continuous service since its establishment in 1971 as a non-profit, volunteer-based charitable community service organization. The mission of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley is to provide medical care, counseling, dental, and legal assistance to individuals and families in need, regardless of their ability to pay. This includes those of all ages, ethnicities, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, who are unable to use traditional sources within the community. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley is a GuideStar Gold Exchange participant, a status awarded for exemplary nonprofit transparency.
 
For more information, visit: www.FreeClinicSV.com and follow the Free Clinic on Facebook www.Facebook.com/FreeClinicSV , Instagram at www.Instagram.com/FreeClinicSimi
 and on Twitter www.Twitter.com/FreeClinicSimi