When Jian Zhang arrived in the U.S. as one of just 15 students selected by the China Medical Board for advanced nursing education, she was surprised to learn there was a hospital in San Francisco dedicated to serving Chinese patients. Zhang found her calling at Chinese Hospital – the nation’s only medical center of its kind. “I felt like I could impact the Chinese community most there,” she recalls. “It’s a safe place for healing, where patients receive culturally and linguistically appropriate care.” This early connection blossomed into a lifelong commitment to uplift an underserved population and provide care that respects Chinese traditions and values.
Creating a Community Lifeline
During her clinical rotation at Chinese Hospital, and while working there since her graduation, Zhang has built relationships and honed leadership skills. Early on, she taught breast cancer prevention classes, raising funds on her own time to sustain them and cover the cost of mammograms for uninsured immigrants. This work laid the foundation for her decades-long effort to address the unique needs of San Francisco’s Chinese community. Zhang stepped into the CEO role at Chinese Hospital in 2017 and, three years later, faced an unprecedented challenge. “During the pandemic, we went door-to-door to overcrowded apartments providing education, testing, and vaccines,” she says, “and we achieved an 88% vaccination rate.” Under her leadership, the city’s only independent community hospital – though it’s faced financial pressure – has expanded services and has created partnerships with UCSF to bring specialty care to its unique population.
A Blueprint for Inclusivity
By championing bilingual services, health education resources, and insurance access for underserved populations, Zhang has created a model for culturally inclusive health care. “Chinatown is a close-knit community with many monolingual residents. This hospital is the heart of this community, where people can gather, heal, celebrate, eat foods they are familiar with, and have conversations about their health in their native language. I want to ensure we can continue to meet our community’s most pressing needs.”
