Friday, May 25, 2012

Request to complete a survey on South Asian health behavior

A Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is conducting a study to understand the health behaviors of South Asians in the United States and is looking for people to complete an online survey. Please see his message below.

 Dear South Asian community member:

I am writing to request your assistance to help improve South Asian health, given your valuable role representing an important segment of the South Asian community. Despite our rapid population growth and important contributions in this country, little public funds are spent on research to understand and address the unique health concerns that South Asians face. By focusing on South Asians specifically, I hope to help draw more resources to eventually help improve the health of this population. Accordingly, I am dedicating some of my time as a trainee to collect some preliminary data to support larger-scale funding of studies which prioritizes our community’s health.

It is with this commitment in mind that I request your assistance. The following link provides access to a brief health survey which I am hoping you might complete at a convenient time. For your time and effort to complete the survey, you will be entered into a raffle for a $250 gift certificate from the Apple Store.

Please feel free to forward this message to other networks of South Asians with whom you may interact. There will be multiple drawings for such prizes through the next few months.

I thank you in advance for your consideration. If you have any questions or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me. In addition, if I can be of any assistance to you or your organization, please feel free to be in touch.

Link to South Asian health survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NatSAPH082411

Best regards,
Dr. Arnab Mukherjea
arnab.mukherjea@ucsf.edu

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Enroll for Rental Assistance Program, June 4-22

Montgomery County's Rental Assistance Program (RAP) will be open for enrollment between June 4-22, 2012. The County Rental Assistance Program is a Montgomery County funded program to help low-income households meet their monthly rental expenses. Assistance is available to legal residents who are disabled, elderly or households of two or more. Eligible customers can receive $50 to $200 per month towards their rental costs.

To apply, a completed pre-application must be postmarked, hand delivered, faxed or emailed between June 4-22, 2012. All households applying during this time period will be placed on a waiting list and randomly selected when openings in the program occur. Customers can call 240-777-4400 to receive a pre-application or can download it from the websitehttp://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhstmpl.asp?url=/content/hhs/SpecialNeedsHousing/RAPOHEP.asp

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Recap of Past Events

The past few weeks at AAHI have been busy, with several outreach events taking place in the community. Here's a brief recap of some of those events.

On Saturday, May 12, AAHI co-hosted a health fair for the Japanese community with the Japanese Christian Community Center of Washington and the DC-Japanese Mental Health Network. AAHI provided free screenings for osteoporosis, carbon dioxide, and blood pressure as well as education on various health topics. There were also two health lectures on mental health and dermatology.
05-12-12 JCCCW health fair

On Saturday, May 19, AAHI attended the Bait-ur-Rahman Women's Health Fair in Silver Spring. The health fair was part of the mosque's larger Sports Weekend event. AAHI helped invite other vendors to the event and provided osteoporosis screening, blood pressure screening, and health education.

On Sunday, May 20, AAHI attended the Chinese Culture and Community-Service Center (CCACC) Health and Community Services Fair. AAHI has enjoyed a long partnership with CCACC, attending several of their health fairs in the past. Again, AAHI provided osteoporosis screening and health education.
05-20-12 CCACC Health Fair

Thank you again to the many health promoters and community partners who joined us in making these events a success!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Farewell Spring 2012 Interns

It's that time of year again; time to say farewell to our spring interns!

Jennifer Chang and YuTing Chen were both seniors, joining us from the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Their time as interns at AAHI was mutually beneficial for them and for AAHI. As public health students, they gained valuable exposure to the workings of a local health department. In turn, they were a great asset to AAHI's work in preparing and participating in outreach activities, researching and presenting on the Affordable Care Act, and supporting various projects such as the ECHO workshop and Japanese health fair.

As a final farewell activity, Jennifer and YuTing sat down for a short interview reflecting on their experience at AAHI.
When asked what they enjoyed most about the internship, Jennifer and YuTing both agreed it was the outreach events. Jennifer enjoyed interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures. YuTing was particularly excited about using her Mandarin language skills to help community members who are limited English proficient.
When asked what skills they developed through the internship program, Jennifer noted an improvement in her communication skills, especially in the area of outreach. Initially, she was timid about approaching people at events but her communication skills and confidence grew through the many events she attended. YuTing said she developed better professional skills, learning how to communicate with colleagues and work in an office setting.  
And finally, their words of advice for future AAHI interns. From YuTing: There are lots of tasks so it's important to be organized. Use the project ticket spreadsheet to help prioritize and keep track of all the projects. From Jennifer: Stay organized and manage your time well, especially since other staff are depending on you.
Jennifer and YuTing, we appreciate all of your hard work and wish you all the best!


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Celebrating Domestic Violence Survivors during APA Heritage Month

Next Friday, May 18th, Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) will be celebrating and honoring courageous survivors of domestic violence. In 2011, 70 survivors chose to take steps towards freedom -- standing strong against abuse, control and power. These survivors represent 13 ethnicities, from as far east as Japan and as far west as Kazakhstan.

Join DVRP at the Courage to Survive Monologue Show and hear the stories of these brave individuals. To register/purchase tickets (suggested donation of $10): http://dvrpmonologues.eventbrite.com/

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

AAHI's May Newsletter

The May issue of AAHI's bi-monthly newsletter is now available online. If you don't receive our emails, click here to read the May newsletter. And you can always subscribe to our email list by clicking here.


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Vacancies for Montgomery County Commission on Health

County Executive Isiah Leggett is seeking applicants to fill six vacancies on the Commission on Health for consumer and provider representatives. One incumbent provider representative is eligible to apply for reappointment.

The commission consists of 19 voting members, representing a cross section of consumers and providers of health care. The majority of the members must not be providers. Persons with an interest or background in public health are encouraged to apply. The commission advises the County Executive and County Council on public health programs, services, and facilities, and comments on any gaps, deficiencies or duplication of efforts. The group reports each year to the Executive and Council on a variety of health issues.

Members serve three-year terms without compensation, but are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Meetings are held the third Thursday evening of each month at 6:00 PM in Rockville.

The deadline for application is May 16, 2012.

Applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability and ethnicity are encouraged to apply. An application, consisting of a brief cover letter and resume, should be sent by mail to County Executive Isiah Leggett, 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville, MD  20850, or by email to countyexecutive.boards@montgomerycountymd.gov. Home and employment addresses, as well as contact phone numbers and email addresses should be included. If appropriate, applicants should indicate the position for which they are applying.

Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Members of these boards are eligible for reimbursement for travel and dependent care for meetings attended. Leggett’s appointments are subject to confirmation by the County Council. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.


Additional information can be found on the County's website.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

May is APA Heritage Month and High Blood Pressure Education Month

There's a lot to celebrate for the month of May!

First off, it's Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month. AAHI is proud to recognize and celebrate the many achievements of the diverse APA community. We especially want to thank the many APA partners, volunteers, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations who strive to address the health needs of Asian Americans in Montgomery County. One way you can celebrate is by attending our Empowering Community Health Organizations (ECHO) workshop, Grants 102, on May 30. Please remember to register online by May 18!

May is also High Blood Pressure Education Month and Stroke Awareness Month. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults — an estimated 76 million people — have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. Coincidentally, AAHI recently decided to provide blood pressure screening in the community during outreach events. On April 30, Rosie Martin, RN, CDE CCM, a nurse diabetes educator with the African American Health Program, conducted a training for the health promoters to learn about high blood pressure and how to provide blood pressure screening in the community. AAHI is excited to provide this important screening in the community in the near future!

04-30-12 HP Training Blood Pressure