Local Doctor Helps Fill Void Left By Chinese Herbalist Murdered In March

A Santa Barbara doctor is helping to fill the void left by Dr. Henry Han.

The traditional Chinese practitioner and his family were brutally murdered inside their Goleta Valley home in March.

Employees managed to keep the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic, which was founded by Han, open for a few months.

But, after 25 years in business, the clinic shut down after the lease expired in June.

Some of Han’s former patients have turned to Dr. Darin Bunch at Pacific Bridge Wellness in Santa Barbara. He is a doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental medicine. He specializes in oncology and immunology.

“Everyone was touched by Dr. Han. There’s really no one that doesn’t know of him or hasn’t been seen by him,” Bunch said.

Bunch moved his practice from Seattle to Santa Barbara three years ago.

Bunch said he met Dr. Han 20 years ago, as a young student and visited Han at his clinic over the years.

“I went and introduced myself to Dr. Han and his staff and they were kind enough to take me through his clinic and that was very special,” Bunch said.

Bunch said he is filling herbal prescriptions for Han’s patients who gained access to their medical records.

“Some patients want to continue on from Dr. Han. We are able to fill that void and be able to fill the herbal prescription. As things change, we can change the herbal formulations,” Bunch said.

Bunch said he wants to help as many former patients as possible.

“There’s such a loss and he was so loved in this community and he helped so many people. No one can ever be Dr. han. However, we are all here to try to continue his legacy and support to get our patients better,” Bunch said.

To learn more about Pacific Bridge Wellness, click here.