Dr. Jerry P. Abraham:
The Man with the Plan
Dr. Jerry P. Abraham
Dr. Jerry P. Abraham is a true advocate for equal access to public health and healthcare for all people across Los Angeles. Throughout his time working as the Director of Vaccines at the Kedren Community Health Center, he has fought for the right of the Black, Hispanic, Asian, and LGBT communities to reliable and nondiscriminatory care.
Dr. Abraham was awarded the 2021 Hero of Family Medicine Award for his passionate advocacy for patients, colleagues, and the family medicine specialty. He also recently was awarded the 2021 Compassionate Physician of the Year award by the California Medical Association. Dr. Abraham will continue to be one of the driving forces in the overall efforts to improve the public access to healthcare.
First and foremost, there were those of us who picked up the phone back in December and said,“ Where are the vaccines?” Then, being able to deliver those vaccines to South Los Angeles and continuing that journey to now over 300,000 people vaccinated within South Los Angeles was a critical step in equitable vaccine distribution. Kedren has championed and became the exemplary role model, the Center for Excellence when it comes to equitable vaccine distribution, truly a template recipe for the country.
So much so that I testified before the United States Senate Health Committee in person in Washington DC, at the behest of Senator Patty Murray, to describe this model to all the senators and explain what was working. And of course there’ s all the notoriety that came from that, whether it’ s from Rachel Maddow, or Joy Reid, and then of course, the Governor’ s visit and the Mayor’ s visit.
Early on, we talked about the Kedren way, a very important model. We treat people like people where the experience counts. We meet people where they are, where we will respect the dignity and worth of every human being.
We were the first people that said no appointment. We were the first walk up site in Los Angeles. No internet, no email, no cell phone, I can’ t see, walk, talk. I don’ t have documentation status in this country. I don’ t speak English. I don’ t have an address because I’ m homeless, I don’ t have transportation. I don’ t have childcare, I don’ t have eldercare, I don’ t have paid time off. None of those were reasons not to get a vaccine. Everyone was welcome.
These were all very important steps that Kedren took on. We brought on so many partners at the height of our program, we were vaccinating 2,000-5,000 people
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 17