Monday, August 29, 2011

Heart Success: A Workshop For Heart Failure, Prevention & Recovery

AAHI Community,

Holy Cross Hospital is offering a free workshop on heart health, Heart Success: A Workshop for Heart Failure, Prevention & Recovery.
Dates: Wednesday, September 14, 10:00am - 2:00pm
OR Wednesday, November 9, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Holy Cross Hospital Senior Source, 8580 Second Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
Description: Learn about the early signs and symptoms of heart failure, heart-health nutrition, medication and weight management. Have all of your medication reviewed and your blood pressure checked. Enjoy a heart-healthy lunch with a cooking demonstration.
Registration: click here for more information on registration

Friday, August 26, 2011

Internship Opportunities in NYC

AAHI Community,
There are some wonderful internship opportunities in the NYC. Please feel free to share with family and friends in that area who may be interested.


Project RICE Internship Opportunity
Project RICE is a community-driven initiative to promote diabetes prevention among Korean American and South Asian American immigrants in New York City using a CHW model approach. We are looking for interns to assist with developing outreach and educational materials, translations, attending educational sessions, and data collection and analysis.

Capacity-Building Internship Opportunity
The Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) will be hosting a conference this Fall that aims to create a comprehensive, multi-level approach to promoting health equity for underserved populations. We are looking for a highly organized intern to assist with the creation of the agenda, reaching out to speakers and participants, developing conference materials, and all other logistics.

Please visit the NYU PRC student training website for more application instructions and materials.

Contact: Smiti Kapadia
Project Coordinator
Tel: 212-263-8949
Fax: 212-263-4086
Email: smiti.kapadia@nyumc.org



Thursday, August 25, 2011

Navigating Your Vascular Health: A Free Screening and Education Day Event

Washington Adventist Hospital will be hosting this free event, Navigating Your Vascular Health: A Free Screening and Education Day Event, on Sunday September 18. The event will include free vascular screenings and a free health education lecture, Understanding Your Vascular Screenings.

Date: Sunday, September 18
Time: 1:00-4:00pm
Location: Washington Adventist Hospital, Short Stay Unit
7600 Carrol Ave., Takoma Park, MD 2091
Registration: Space is limited. Please call 1-800-542-5096 for your appointment.

Check out the flier for more information:

Updates on Hurricane Irene and Emergency Preparedness

AAHI Community,
As you may have heard through the news, our area may be impacted by Hurricane Irene this weekend. In case of an emergency, it is important to be prepared. Please read the news release (below) from Montgomery County on Hurricane Irene. The news release has helpful tips on preparing for the hurricane and other important information on emergency preparedness. We also encourage you to sign up for Alert Montgomery, the County’s notification system. Learn more about emergency preparedness from the County's Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security.

Additionally, if community members have any questions or concerns, they may call MC311. It is the phone number for Montgomery County Government information and services. If you make the call in Montgomery County, dial 311. If you are outside of Montgomery County, dial 240-777-0311. Trained representatives who speak Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and French are available, as is a language interpretation service for other languages.

Please share this information with your family, friends and community. Stay safe!
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PRESS RELEASE FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY

For Immediate Release: 8/25/2011

Hurricane Irene May Impact Region in Coming Days; Residents Urged to Prepare for Hurricanes and Other Emergencies

Currently at category 3 status, Hurricane Irene may impact the region in the days ahead, and officials remind residents that they should prepare for the possibility of high winds, power outages and flooding. The hurricane season traditionally runs through November.

Anyone who has not already signed up for the County’s Alert Montgomery notification system is encouraged to do so by going to https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov and selecting the types of emergency alerts they are interested in receiving regarding weather, severe traffic, schools, park and government facilities, athletic fields and public events; along with the devices they would like the messages sent to (cell phones, text pagers, wireless PDAs, home and work emails).

During severe weather and all other times, residents are reminded to call 9-1-1 only in emergencies that threaten life or property, which includes any type of fire or serious medical condition, when there is fear for personal safety or the safety of others, or during a crime in progress. Calling 9-1-1 for the wrong reason or calling the number inadvertently may keep someone else from getting the help they need. DO NOT call 9-1-1 to ask for directions; check on power, phone, or cable outages; inquire about road or weather conditions; check on the status of school closings; for information about public services; or to report situations that are not emergencies. If you do call by mistake, please stay on the line until the call taker can confirm that you do not require emergency assistance.

Whenever a hurricane threatens a region, within 24-36 hours a hurricane watch will be issued. A hurricane warning will be issued if hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours or less. Hurricane conditions include winds of 74 miles per hour (64 knots) or greater, and/or dangerously high tides and waves. Actions to protect life and property should begin whenever a warning is issued.

Below are some more preparedness tips for hurricanes and other storms:

Before a Storm

• Put copies of important documents in a safe place, preferably a waterproof container. Important documents can include passports, birth certificates, insurance policies or anything else that might be needed immediately or cannot be easily replaced.

• Have enough cash for a few days – ATM’s may not work during power outages and stores might not be able to take debit and credit cards.

• Make sure vehicle gas tanks are full.

• Secure or bring inside exterior items that might become windborne, such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools.

• Fill prescriptions that might be needed and stock up on any necessary medical supplies.

• Keep flashlights and battery-powered radios with extra batteries on hand, along with a basic first aid kit, emergency food and water, and a non-electric can opener. Have enough non-perishable food and water for at least 72 hours.

• Listen to the radio or television for hurricane progress reports.

• Clean out gutters.

• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in anticipation of a power outage. Open the doors only when necessary and close quickly.

• Refrain from putting out trash cans the night before the regular pickup.

During a Storm

• Avoid using candles for lighting. Use a battery-powered flashlight.

• Never use a candle when fueling equipment such as a kerosene heater or lantern, since the candle flame can ignite fumes from the fuel.

• Try to stay in an interior room or away from windows.

• Stay calm and do not call 911 unless it is an emergency.

• If flooding occurs, turn off electricity at the main breaker.

• During a power outage, turn off major appliances. This will minimize losing power again through a power surge and protect the equipment when power returns.

• Do not go outside. Flying debris from high winds is a danger. As the eye of the storm passes, there will be a short period of calm followed by rapid wind speed increases to hurricane force that will come from the opposite direction.

After a Storm

• Do not touch fallen or low-hanging wires of any kind under any circumstances. Stay away from puddles with wires in or near them. Do not touch trees or other objects in contact with power lines.

• USE PHONES ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES. Call 911 only for life-threatening situations.

• Call police or your utility companies immediately to report hazards such as downed power lines, broken gas or water mains or overturned gas tanks.

• Avoid areas subject to flooding, including low spots, canals and streams. Do not attempt to drive on a flooded road –you can be stranded or trapped. The depth of the water and the condition of the road is not always obvious.

• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers, downed wires and other hazards.

• For downed trees on public property, call 3-1-1 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays (or 240-777-0311 from outside the County or from a cell phone) or go to http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/311 at any time to report the problem. If live wires are involved, the tree is blocking a roadway, the tree is on a structure, or if persons are trapped under the fallen tree, call 9-1-1.

• Trees that have fallen on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The County’s Office of Consumer Protection advises homeowners to deal with established businesses only, and to call Consumer Protection first to check a business’ complaint record. Consumer Protection can be reached at 240-777-3636.

• For non-emergency police assistance, call the police non-emergency number, 301-279-8000.

• If case of a power outage, residents are urged to take steps to ensure that food left in the refrigerator and freezer is safe. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be refrigerated at 40° F and frozen food at or below 0° F, which may be difficult with a prolonged power outage. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. A refrigerator will only keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened. Food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soft cheeses, butter and leftover cooked meats, casseroles and pizza should be thrown out if they have been held above 40° F for over two hours. A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. To be sure a particular food is cold enough; take its temperature with a food thermometer. Never taste food to determine its safety.

• Do not operate charcoal grills, propane camping stoves or generators indoors.

Important Utility Numbers:

o Pepco: 1-877-737-2662

o BG&E: 1-877-778-2222 or 1-800-685-0123

o Potomac Edison (Allegheny Power): 1-800-255-3443

o Washington Gas: 800-752-7520

o WSSC: 1-800-828-4002

For more information about emergency preparedness, go to the County website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov, check the County’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Montgomery-County-Government/53568216648?ref=ts or sign up to receive County tweets from Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/MontgomeryCoMD.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Your Help Needed!

AAHI’s partner, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of NIH, needs subjects for a new health planner for Asians/Pacific Islanders that they are developing.

They will be conducting several photo shoots in the Montgomery County/DC area the weeks of August 29th and September 5th to photograph adults of all ages who have conditions and/or diseases of bones, joints, muscles, and/or skin. Participants can self-diagnose for these diseases/conditions. (A medical doctor’s diagnosis is not required.)

Each adult participant will receive $75, and will need to sign a release form. Each participant should expect to spend between 1-2 hours and are welcome and encouraged to bring their family members along.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Kim McGraw at kmcgraw@iqsolutions.com or 240-514-0300.

Thank you very much for your consideration.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Job Opportunity in San Francisco

AAHI Community,
If you know anyone who is interested, please feel free to share:

San Francisco Health Clinic seeks Associate Medical Director – Bilingual in Chinese

North East Medical Services, a non-profit community health clinic in San Francisco is seeking a Full-Time Associate Medical Director to join its Medical team. The Associate Medical Director is appointed by and reports to the Medical Director as the Associate Chief Medical Officer of one of the community health clinics and is charged with providing leadership in all areas relating to the clinical operation. The Associate Medical Director is responsible for recommending and implementing clinical policies and procedures; supervising the clinical staff in their medical, nursing, and administrative duties; insuring continuous quality improvement in all clinical activities; and acting as an integral part of the senior management team of the health center. He/She provides outpatient care in the clinic and night and weekend calls; Maintains licensure in good standing in the state of California. Qualifications: Bilingual in English/Chinese and Board Eligible/ Certified Primary Care Physician. NEMS offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package including: malpractice coverage, pension, medical, dental, vision and a forgivable loan program. Contact Nara.Ng@NEMS.org or go to our website at www.nems.org for more information.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Fourth Annual MCPS Back- to -School Fair



AAHI Community,

Montgomery County Public Schools is hosting their fourth annual Back- to- School Fair.

Date: Saturday, August 27th
Time: 12-3:00pm
Location:Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville
Parking information: Limited free parking is available at Montgomery College, across the street from the fair. Free parking and bus transportation is provided to and from the fair throughout the day from 12 high schools.

About the fair: Montgomery County Public Schools' Back-to-School Fair is a way to welcome students and families to a new school year, share information about school system programs, provide access to community resources and have fun at the same time.

This year marks the fourth annual Back-to-School Fair. About 12,000 students, parents and community members attended last year's fair to discover the many resources that MCPS and the community have to offer. Advance funds and donations from area businesses and organizations helped make the fair possible, provide backpacks and offer prizes to participants.

Families who have attended the fair appreciate how the school system, community organizations and businesses join together to support parents and celebrate the start of the school year.

For more information, please click here.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Free Diabetes Classes

AAHI Community,
Our local hospitals are a wonderful resource for health education classes, health events and other health-related activities. There are many free classes offered through these local hospitals that are beneficial for the community. Adventist HealthCare has two upcoming classes that focus on diabetes education and meal planning. These classes are offered on several dates, times and locations.


Nuts and Bolts of Diabetes

Description: This class is an introduction to basic diabetes self care. The focus is on understanding the physical effects of diabetes, treatment goals and how to make lifestyle changes that promote good health.
Registration: 800-542-5096
For the schedule of classes, please click here.

Carbohydrate Counting and Diabetes Meal Planning
Description: The focus of this class is on developing carbohydrate counting skills for the purpose of optimizing blood glucose control. Discussion will include heart-healthy foods, label reading and planning meals.
Registration: 800-542-5096
For the schedule of classes, please click here.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Free Blood Pressure Screenings

AAHI Community,
Do you know your blood pressure levels? Have you recently checked your blood pressure?
Check out these free blood pressure screenings offered at a variety of times and locations throughout the County.

Adventist Healthcare free blood pressure screenings schedule : click here

Suburban Hospital free blood pressure screenings schedule : click here

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Free Citizenship Class

AAHI Community,
The Montgomery County Charles W. Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity is hosting an 8 week citizenship class to help individuals perepare for the interivew and test. If you know someone who is interested, please feel free to share this information and flier.

Dates: Thursdays starting September 15, 2011
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Upcounty Regional Services Center, 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown, MD 20874

To register and for more information, contact Patty Larson, Upcounty Program coordinator, at 240-777-6950 or view the flier:

Affordable Care Act 101

AAHI Community,
Are you interested in learning more about the Affordable Care Act and how it impacts your life? You can join an interactive conference call discussing the benefits and provisions of the Affordable Care Act, hosted by the HHS Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Dates: Tuesday, August 23, at 8 pm ET
Wednesday, August 31, at 12:30 pm ET
Wednesday, September 14, at 12:30 pm ET

RSVP: To attend, please RSVP to partnerships@hhs.gov.

You can view the powerpoint slides by clicking here.

Did you know...?
- young adults can stay on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26, even if they don’t live at home or are married?
- there is now a plan for people with pre-existing conditions to access health insurance called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan?
- 8 million children who are currently uninsured are eligible to receive care through the Children’s Health Insurance Program known as CHIP?

There are millions of people who lack access to health care, essential for healthy children, families and communities, throughout the United States. Many families don’t know what their options are to access better care.

Now you can learn more about many provisions that are currently in place that could help you and those in your congregation or community.


Monday, August 8, 2011

AAHI Says Goodbye to Summer 2011 Interns


Another group of interns has come and gone. Summer 2011 interns, Katherine Ip and Andrew Poo joined the Asian American Health Initiative on the first of June. Both are rising juniors, Katherine from the University of Maryland's School of Public Health and Andrew from Emory University. As summer interns, their time here was short but rewarding. Katherine and Andrew had an opportunity to conduct outreach to small businesses and provide health education and information on health resources and services. They reached out to several restaurants and cafes. Both Katherine and Andrew were keen on participating in outreach efforts.

In addition to working with AAHI staff on their programs and projects, Katherine and Andrew completed a research project on health equity. This research project opportunely coincided with "Peer Learning with King County", a two day peer learning session with King County on their Equity and Social Justice Initiative. In light of their experience learning from King County, Katherine and Andrew created a comprehensive presentation on health equity and discussed topics such as equal access, ties to social justice, individual change and much more.

At AAHI, we are proud to graduate another group of interns from our internship program. We thank Katherine and Andrew for their hard work and passion. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Local Resources in the Community

AAHI Community,

Montgomery County is full of resources that are available to assist the community. Please see below for a few current opportunities:

Free English Classes
The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will be offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for adults starting in August 2011. The classes range from beginners to intermediate and advanced. They are offered at a variety of centers and libraries throughout the County. Please click here for the flier in English. You can access a flier in Chinese by clicking here, and one in Korean by clicking here.

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Free Legal Advice Clinics
The Montgomery County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program in partnership with the East County Regional Services Center will have free Evening Legal Advice Consultations for low income community residents throughout the year.
Dates: The clinics will be held on the 1st & 2nd Thursday of each month
Location: Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center
3300 Briggs Chaney Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Tel: (240) 777-8400

Please click here for more information.