Meet Local Hero Nominee: Rev. Dr. Phyllis Everstine Hayes-Reams

Nominee Name: Rev. Dr. Phyllis Everstine Hayes-Reams
Title: Physician, Community Advocate
Organization/Business: Kaiser Permanente, YMCA of Greater Long Beach, Rotary Club of Signal Hill and Clarissa Manuel Foundation
Nominator: Albert Chang

“Dr. Hayes-Reams truly loves the people in her community, and serves as an inspiring role model that validates that busy professionals can indeed serve their communities, raise a kind and thoughtful family and succeed at their professional vocations. Dr. Hayes-Reams gives, gives and gives her time and resources to better lives locally and globally. She truly embodies the meaning of 'service above self.’” 

— Albert Chang, Nominator

About Rev. Dr. Phyllis Everstine Hayes-Reams

Physician, community dvocate, wife and mother of two, Rev. Dr. Phyllis Everstine Hayes-Reams, is a physician in the Department of Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, Continuing Care and Social Medicine at the Kaiser Permanente (KP) South Bay Medical Center. Hayes-Reams has had a special passion for and appreciation for older adults for as long as she can remember. Finding herself gravitating to older members in her family, church and community, when she found there was a field of medicine that allowed her to work with older adults, she knew geriatric medicine was the subspecialty for her. After completing her undergraduate degree in human biology at Stanford University, she received her medical degree at the UCLA Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. Board-certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine, and hospice/palliative medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine, she joined KP South Bay Medical Center as its first fellowship trained and board-certified geriatrician in 1997. Hayes-Reams is also an ordained minister/itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is currently on the ministerial staff at New Philadelphia A.M.E Church in Long Beach. Additionally, she serves as chair of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach Board of Directors, president for the Rotary Club of Signal Hill, and on the Board of Directors of the Clarissa Manuel Foundation.

More on Rev. Dr. Phyllis Everstine Hayes-Reams

• In 2019, Rev. Dr. Phyllis Hayes-Reams was presented with The California Conference for Equality and Justic's Humanitarian Award. Watch her acceptance speech below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Wo1eIc4j8

• Read the announcement of Rev. Dr. Phyllis Hayes-Reams' entry as a member of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach Board of Directors at this link.
• In late July of 2020, Rev. Dr. Phyllis Hayes-Reams participated in the KJLH Women’s Health Expo, from Kindness, Joy, Love &Happiness Radio, “TRUST: Thinking, Reflecting, Understanding and Story-Telling Presented by Kaiser Permanente.” Read more about this event at the KJLH Radio website and watch Rev. Dr. Phyllis Hayes-Reams participate in the video of the full virtual event below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRE8eDLoY1U

• Dr. Phyllis Hayes-Reams also participated in the 2017 groundbreaking of renovations to the Weingart-Lakewood Family YMCA. Read more about the event at the Long Beach Press Telegram's website.