A Journey Rooted in Compassion
In 2011, Edward Gerber, Executive Director of Lestonnac Free Clinic (LFC), and Dr. Nitin Shah, founding president of Anekant Community Center, met and laid the foundation for what would become the first free Surgery Center in the United States.
LFC had been providing care for the uninsured since 1979 including free primary health care services, dental and vision care. It had a waitlist of over 1,000 surgery patients and Dr. Shah was in search of a reliable facility for community health referrals. In 2012, Gerber and Shah performed 27 free procedures at West Anaheim Medical Center, sparking a momentum.
Sarva Mangal Family Trust Steps In
Around the same time, Dr. Bharat Patel of Beverly Surgery Center had started ALAPIO – the Association of Los Angeles Physicians of Indian Origin – a service oriented educational and philanthropic organization addressing medical needs affecting the public at large, especially for those who are unable to afford it. The team continued providing free surgeries at Patel’s Beverly Surgery Center from 2015. With gracious funding and support from Rika and Manu Shah of the Sarva Mangal Family Trust, over the years the program expanded to provide surgeries bi-monthly.
From Vision to Reality
In 2022, Ed Gerber proposed converting part of LFC’s Clinic space in the city of Orange, CA into a permanent Surgery Center. Thanks to the generosity of the Thompson Family Foundation, Sarva Mangal Family Trust, the Shah Happiness Foundation, Dr’s. Ninna and Bharat Patel, and ALAPIO, this vision became a reality.
The Shah Happiness Medical Center which includes the Lestonnac Free Clinic and the state-of-the-art Lestonnac Free Surgery Center was inaugurated on May 15th, 2025. The center is expected to start serving the community in June 2025. The Lestonnac Free Clinic Surgery Center stands as a testament to the power of partnership, philanthropy, and a relentless commitment to compassionate care. It continues to provide free, high-quality surgical services to uninsured and low-income patients – restoring dignity, health, and hope.
Voices of Support
At the inauguration, Gerber said “I’ve been with the clinic for 33 years now. When I came here as a patient. I remember feeling anxious, wondering if I will need to skip dinner to afford the lab costs.” Gerber added, “We will start with minor surgeries such as colonoscopies, endoscopies, hernia repairs, and lipoma removals. We already have a waitlist of 3,000 patients.”
Dr. Shah congratulated and thanked all the donors and partners for bringing his dream from 25 years ago into a reality. “True happiness comes from serving an unknown, someone you do not know and someone you don’t expect anything back from”, said Shah.
Dr. Bharat Patel brought smiles with his trademark humor as he reiterated his and ALAPIO’s support to the clinic. “I will drive here from Santa Monica as and when I am needed. ALAPIO has more than 300 doctor members that will continue to volunteer and provide their expertise to those who need it the most”, Patel added.
Shah Family’s Generosity
Manu Shah, founder of MSI and Chief Philanthropist of Sarva Mangal Family Trust and Shah Happiness Foundation congratulated Gerber, Shah, and Patel on their continued commitment to serve the community. “Rika and I would like to congratulate you all on this momentous occasion. We also want to thank Ila and Dr. Gunvant Mehta, Dr. Hemalatha and Rasikbhai Parekh, and Drs. Rekha and Gulab Shah for their relentless contributions in serving the community. We are making a dedication in their honor,” he added.
A Historic Gathering
Dr. Shah welcomed all the guests that had gathered to mark this historic occasion as he thanked all the benefactors including Don Thompson, William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Mr. Mark Porterfield, Dr. & Mrs. Kirit & Ragini Shah, Dr. & Mrs. Ketan & Rachita Shah, Alpa, Rajan & Nirali, and the Anekant Community Center.
Among those attending included Raj and Rup Shah, co-Presidents of MS International, Sona Shah CEO of My Private Professor, Dr. Anil Shah – ALAPIO board member, renowned interventional cardiologist and CEO of Coastal Heart Medical Group, Pooja Bhalla CEO of Illumination Foundation, and Sudha and Sunil Narkar of AME Medical Group. Representing Anekant Community Center were Pramod Shah President, Kantibhai Shah Past President, and Board Members Mahesh Wadher, Dr. Ramesh Kothari, and Nilesh Shah.
