Asian American Health Initiative's Community Blog

Health Promoter Training - Public Health 101

2012-02-27T11:05:00.010-08:00

On Thursday, February 23, AAHI's Health Promoters met for a training entitled Public Health 101. Dr. Harry Kwon, immediate past chair of the AAHI Steering Committee, led an overview of public health concepts. He covered various topics, including levels of prevention, health promotion using community health workers, and behavior change theories. It was great to learn from Dr. Kwon and be reminded of the important role our Health Promoters play in public health. If you're wondering "what is public health?", check out this video.

02-23-12 HP training PH101

Also, Dr. Kwon recently interviewed Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health for the Department of Health and Human Services, on Cancer and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community. If you're interested in learning about cancer disparities among Asian Americans, you can watch the video interview here.

Heart Health Screening event & SMASH B Results

2012-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend for AAHI! On Saturday, February 11, AAHI participated in the 5th Annual Heart Health Screening & Education Event. The African American Health Program and the Holy Cross Hospital Community Health Department celebrated Heart Health Month by hosting this event where participants received free screenings for blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, oral cancer, glaucoma, and vision. AAHI displayed its information table of health topics and resources available to the community in multiple languages and used the wheel of health education to educate people about breast cancer.

02-11-12 HCH Heart Health Screening

Then on Sunday, February 12, AAHI supported Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) at the Screening, Management, Awareness, and Solutions to Hepatitis B (SMASH B) Results & Vaccination event. Participants from the SMASH B Screening event in January were invited back to receive their screening results and given the option of starting the Hepatitis B vaccine. There was also a short, educational presentation where Dr. Loc Le explained the general interpretation of Hepatitis B screening results and Nguyen Nguyen outlined the vaccination process and treatment referrals. AAHI also setup an outreach table to educate participants on various health topics as well as on local resources while they waited to receive their result.

02-12-12 SMASH B Results and Vax #1

Welcome new staff and interns!

2012-02-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

AAHI community,

We're excited to introduce our new program coordinator and Spring interns! Wana Jin started on February 6 as the Program Coordinator for Health Education and Communication. Jennifer Chang is a senior at University of Maryland College Park and Yu Ting Chen is a senior at University of Maryland Shady Grove.

Please join us in welcoming them to the AAHI community! You can get to know them a little better by reading their introductions, and hopefully you'll get a chance to meet them at one of our upcoming events.

Hi, my name is Wana Jin. I am excited to join AAHI's staff as the new Program Coordinator for Health Education. Prior to joining AAHI, I received my MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I also worked there for several years as a research coordinator for clinical trials. I look forward to working in the community and helping to improve the health of Asian Americans in Montgomery County. And as a native of Baltimore County, I'd love your input on things to see/do/eat in MoCo!

My name is Jennifer Chang. I am a senior expecting to graduate in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park. As an intern at AAHI, I am looking forward to interacting and providing health education to the Asian American community while improving on my communication skills. Also, I am excited to gain real experience in the field and see actual projects in action. The area of research that I am most interested in is mental health issues affecting Asian Americans. In the future, I would like to attend nursing school or work in the public health field.

My name is Yu Ting Chen. I am currently working on my Bachelors degree in Public Health at the University of Maryland. I am expecting to graduate in December of this year. While interning at AAHI, I am looking forward to gain more experience in doing outreach. In addition, I would like to learn strategies to get the community interested in learning about health topics and participate at our events. My area of interest would be cancer because three of my family members have died of cancer. Although cancer is fatal, most often times, it is preventable. In the future, I want to go to Dental School. I realize that many people do not know the importance of maintaining healthy teeth. It is not just for good appearance. Unhealthy teeth can lead to many diseases in other parts of the body. Therefore, I want to learn more about this topic and be able to educate and treat my patients in the future.

Recap of Past Events

2012-02-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

AAHI community,

Sorry we haven't been able to update the blog very much in the past couple weeks, but we're back! Look out for some more posts in the next few weeks about our new staff and more big events. For now, here's a recap of the events we've had in the past couple of weeks.

Chinese Cultural & Community Service Center (CCACC) Community Service Fair
On Sunday, January 29, AAHI participated in CCACC's Community Service Fair at Lakeforest Mall. Various community organizations were present to share information about their services with the community. AAHI shared information on various health topics such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and hepatitis B, and used the wheel of health to educate people about breast cancer.

01-29-12 CCACC Community Service Fair

Osteoporosis Lectures
During the first week of February, AAHI visited two Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) senior housing complexes to educate the elderly, Chinese speaking residents about osteoporosis. Health Promoters gave a lecture covering basic facts about osteoporosis screening and prevention, as well as fall prevention. Other health resources were also provided at AAHI's outreach table.

02-02-12 Elizabeth House Osteo Lecture

02-09-12 Waverly House Osteo Lecture

SMASH B 2012 Hepatitis B Screening and Education Day Recap

2012-01-25T11:13:00.001-08:00

On Sunday, January 15th, the Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) with the support of the Montgomery County Council and AAHI, held a hepatitis B screening and education day as part of their 2012 SMASH B Program (Screening, Management, Awareness, Solutions for Hepatitis B). Building off their successful first program in 2011, approximately 170 participants were able to receive hepatitis B screenings this year. First, participants attended a health education lecture conducted by Dr. Loc Le, a bilingual and bicultural Vietnamese American physician, and then proceeded to get their screenings. Participants were also able to browse a number of informational tables hosted by local community organizations, a local hospital, MC DHHS, and AAHI. AAHI’s outreach table provided health education on various topics including cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis B and tobacco. As an interactive activity, AAHI brought the popular wheel of health education focusing on breast cancer. The wheel was a big hit! It was a wonderful method of engaging the participants and sharing important information on breast health.

SMASH B 2012 Screening and Eduation Day

A special thanks to VNMAP and all the volunteers for making this event such a success!

AAHI Says Farwell to Program Coordinator, Atyya Chaudhry

2011-12-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

Today AAHI bid a heartfelt farewell to Program Coordinator, Atyya Chaudhry. After having started with AAHI as in intern during her last semester at the University of Maryland College Park, Atyya joined our staff in May of 2010. With her, she brought an unmatched level of energy, enthusiasm, and passion which was coupled with a sincere dedication of serving the community. In her time here, she has contributed tremendously to our growth. She has played a critical role in our health education efforts and is the cornerstone of our ethnic media health education campaign and social media activities. Additionally, she has supported numerous AAHI projects and events and has proven to be indispensable. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to an impressive young professional. We know that she will continue to be a champion for Asian American health in her future endeavors.

Atyya - we wish you all the best!

Study of Children with Hepatitis B Virus Infection

2011-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

The Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN)
Observational Study of Children with Hepatitis B Virus Infection in North America
What is the purpose of this study?
This is a multicenter Hepatitis B virus (HBV) study seeking to enroll approximately 500 children with chronic HBV in order to better evaluate the natural history of this infection in children. We hope to better understand the effects HBV and develop effective treatment strategies with currently available therapies. Study visits will be conducted for 5 years at the time of routine clinical visits. One of the principal aims of the study is to try to understand factors associated with conversion of E antigen to E antibody (which is thought to give the child with HBV a more favorable outlook.) Johns Hopkins represents the only pediatric site in the mid-Atlantic and plans to enroll 80-100 participants. Children who are eligible for future treatment trials will first need to be enrolled in the observational natural history study.

Who can enroll?
Participants are chronically infected with HBV and must be 6 months old to 18 years old.

Who is conducting the research study?
The study is being conducted by researchers at 7 locations in the United States and Canada. It is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Johns Hopkins University is one of the sites. The research team at this site is:
• Dr. Kathleen Schwarz, MD, Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist, Director, Liver Center, Principal Investigator
• Ying Yuan, MHA, Research coordinator
• Douglas Mogul, M.D., M.P.H. Fellow, Pediatric GI

What will be collected in the study?
The research visits will take place at the same time as the clinical visits. These visits will include a physical exam, medical or interval history, laboratory tests and questionnaires. Blood drawn as part of the study will take place at the same time as routine laboratory tests. The clinical visits and clinical lab tests will be billed to third party payors as is usually done for clinical visits. The research part of the visit will be questionnaires and research blood tests to be done on the same blood draw as the clinical tests.

How long does the study last?
This study lasts for up to 5 years.

What if I don’t want to be in the study or if I want to drop out of the study?
Your participation is voluntary. Your child will receive the same level of care whether you decide to participate or not. You are free to leave the study at any time.

Who can I contact if I have questions?
Please call Ying Yuan at 410-955-9161 or email her at yyuan19@jhmi.edu

Please click this link to download a flyer. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bzy_tqMuNorzNjExMTI2YjYtMjMwZC00ZDgwLTkxM2MtNTRkYjM5ZTkwZDFh

HIV Prevention and Counseling services

2011-12-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

Check out this free resource:

Gapbuster Learning Center, Inc. offers free HIV counseling, testing and referral services here at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center on Fridays from 4-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10-2 p.m.

For more information, please contact Yvette Butler, MD or Sheila Clyburn, RN at (301) 779-GBLC (4252) or email gblc_office@yahoo.com.

Address: Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center
3300 Briggs Chaney Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Tel # (240) 777-8400

Job Opening at the Asian American Health Initiative

2011-12-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

The Primary Care Coalition in collaboration with the Asian American Health Initiative seeks a highly organized and motivated individual for the position of Program Coordinator for Health Education and Health Communication. For more information on the job description, requires, and how to apply, please visit the Asian American Health Initiatives website: http://aahiinfo.org/phpages/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/AAHI-Program-Coordinator.pdf

Recap of Past Events

2011-12-14T08:11:00.001-08:00

AAHI Community,

These past two weeks we have had a few events in the community:

On Tuesday, November 29, we celebrated Native American Heritage Month and attended the American Indian Heritage Day Pow-Wow and Health Fair. This event was held at Holy Cross Hospital. We provided health education on various topics and conducted bone density screenings. We thank the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs, Holy Cross Hospital, and our Minority Outreach and Technical Assistance Partners for working on this event!

11-29-11 American Indian Pow-wow and Health Fair

On Saturday, December 10, we worked with the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC) to coordinate the results and vaccination round one as a part of the comprehensive Active Care and Treatment (A.C.T.) of Hepatitis B in the Korean Community Project. At this event, community members participated in a health lecture, received one-on-one consultations with physicians regarding their results, and had the opportunity to receive a free vaccination if they were in need of one. We thank our partners and volunteers at KCSC, our volunteer physicians, and our Health Promoter team for making this such success!

12-10-11 KCSC Hepatitis B Results Day

On Tuesday, December 13, we worked with a dental hygienist with Montgomery County, to provide a training to our Health Promoters on Oral Health and Hygiene. The informative training provided an overview of oral health conditions such as cavities, gingivitis, and periodontists, and discussed methods of maintaining proper oral hygiene and preventing oral health disease. We thank Verna Richardson, RDH, MS, for this helpful training!

12-13-11 Health Promoter Training: Oral Health

Farewell Fall 2011 Interns

2011-12-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Just a few months, AAHI welcomed Fall 2011 interns, Candace Lee and Carolyn Ho, and already it is time to bid them farewell. Candace and Carolyn joined us from the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland College Park. This internship is a part of their undergraduate academic program.

Candace and Carolyn took initiative and actively worked with AAHI on various projects and programs. They conducted small business outreach, participated in outreach events, and developed health education articles. They provided tremendous support in AAHI's ongoing hepatitis B project efforts.

Candace and Carolyn also worked on individual research projects in their respective interests. They orally presented their in-depth research to AAHI staff- Candace presented on Health IT, and Carolyn presented on Mental Health First Aid.

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

Words of advice from Candace and Carolyn:

"Come in with an open mind and a willingness to accept any opportunities or challenges that come before you because you will never know where these experiences can take you in the future. You might be surprised. For me, I never expected that I could do health outreach events, but through this internship I learned something new about myself." - Candace Lee

"This internship gives you great exposure and experiences in many public health projects and activities. You’ll meet a lot of great people that you can learn from too. Take initiative and put yourself out there, you’ll never know what opportunities can come from it." - Carolyn Ho

Dec. 4 - 10 is National Influenza Vaccination Week

2011-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

This week, December 4 - 10, is National Influenza Vaccination Week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "An annual flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent this serious illness."

Montgomery County has one more vaccination date as a part of Montgomery County's 2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Vaccination Campaign. The vaccinations are by appointment only. Click here for more information on the flu clinic and how to make an appointment.

When: Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time: 2:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Germantown Health Center
12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874

FREE English Classes!

2011-12-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will continue offering FREE English classes for adults here at the Regional Services Center. There are classes for beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The classes are held at various centers throughout the County and at various times. Click here for more information, and please share with family and friends!

Cancer and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

2011-12-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

This informative video on Cancer in the Asian American & Pacific Islanders community is by the National Cancer Institute.

World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T07:33:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,
Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day. HIV and AIDS do affect the Asian American community, and we can help raise awareness.

Did you know...?

- Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that Asian American and Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of increase of new HIV infections in our nation?

- While the rate of HIV infection is increasing in the Asian American and Pacific Islanders group, it is decreasing in other racial and ethnic groups.

- Asian American and Pacific Islanders have the lowest HIV screening rate when compared to all racial and ethnic groups.

It is important to increase our knowledge about HIV/AIDS and raise awareness in our communities. You can read more about HIV/AIDS in the Asian American and Pacific Islanders by clicking here.

Community Resource: FREE Pro Bono Legal Clinic

2011-11-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

Check out this great resource, and please feel free to share with family and friends!
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Pro Bono Legal Clinic -

The Montgomery County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program provides FREE Legal Advice Consultations here at the ECRSC for low income residents on the first and second Thursdays of each month from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. The upcoming dates for the legal clinics are December 1 and December 8. A client intake must be completed before 6:00 p.m.

Location: East County Regional Center

3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring

For more information, call the Pro Bono Program Monday through Thursday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at (301) 424-7651, (301) 424-7652 or (301) 424-7633.

To see a flier, please click here.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

2011-11-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know:
- According to a 2009 finding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the rate of Asian Americans over the age of 12 who use tobacco products is 11.9%?
- In the US, smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of lung cancer deaths in women?

If you or a loved one are current tobacco-users and wish to quit, there is a class offered through Holy Cross Hospital, Nixing Nicotine. This FREE, six-week class, meets once a week with a certified tobacco treatment specialist. The class is held at Holy Cross Hospital Professional Community & Education Center, 1500 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring, MD. For more information on dates, times, and class registration, click here.

You can also encourage them to call Maryland's Quit-line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, for a free call, free support, and free medicine. Visit their website here: http://www.smokingstopshere.com/

AAHI in the News

2011-11-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

One of our goals at AAHI is to educate the community on health concerns and prevention. In order to broaden our health education tactics, we have initiated a health education media campaign through ethnic newspapers. Ethnic newspapers serve as an important platform to reach out to the community and provide health education and information on health resources and services. The health articles we write are culturally and linguistically tailored to address the topic in an appropriate manner. These articles are intended to be beneficial for the readers.

This year we have been working with a few local Asian newspapers to publish these articles for community benefit:

The Epoch Times
Breast Cancer Article
Diabetes Article

India This Week
Breast Cancer Article

Washington Chinese News
Breast Cancer Article

Korean Times
Hepatitis B Article

We thank our media partners for their continual support in building a healthier community!

Forum on Future of Nonprofits

2011-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,
Here is an upcoming event open to the public if you or anyone you know is interested in attending. Registrations is required.

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Future of the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 • Noon-1:30 p.m. ET

To attend in person in Washington, D.C., register at:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2551096398. (Registration is required.)

Panelists:

- David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for Reuters (moderator)
- Terri Lee Freeman, president, Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
- C. Eugene Steuerle, Institute fellow, Urban Institute
- Elizabeth Boris, director, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, Urban Institute

This last 15th Anniversary Event of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy will focus on the future—the challenges and opportunities for the nonprofit sector and philanthropy in the face of evolving economic and political realities and changing sector dynamics.

Join the discussion as a distinguished panel wrestles with big questions:

What are the major forces that will affect the sector going forward?
What kinds of impacts can we foresee?
How can the nonprofit sector help to shape those forces?
Can we envision some optimum outcomes?
Can we begin to articulate strategies that could mobilize efforts to achieve desired outcomes?

At the Urban Institute
2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.
Lunch will be provided at 11:30 a.m. The forum begins promptly at noon.

Upcoming event: American Indian Heritage Day Pow-Wow and Health Fair

2011-11-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

November is Native American Heritage Month and on Tuesday, November 29, the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and Holy Cross Hospital will be hosting the 2011 American Indian Heritage Day Pow-Wow and Health Fair. This event will feature cultural performances and activities as well as health lectures and health screenings.

Date: Tuesday, November 29
Time: 4:00pm - 7:30pm
Location: Holy Cross Hospital,
1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910

For more information about the event, check out the flier.

November is American Diabetes Month

2011-11-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

November is American Diabetes Month. Did you know that diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death for Asian Americans? Furthermore, Asian Americans have a higher risk of developing diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. Diabetes is a serious illness that affects our communities. It is important to help raise awareness and educate our family and friends. You can learn more about diabetes by clicking here.

You can check out diabetes resources on Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Service's calendar of events.

Holy Cross Hospital also offers a free diabetes prevention class to individuals diagnosed with pre-diabetes. For more information, click here.

FY2011 Annual Report

2011-11-17T11:11:00.001-08:00

We are delighted to share our Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) Annual Report. FY11 was a year of implementation and action. We carried on programs and projects from last year, such as the Hepatitis B project, and implemented new ideas such as small business outreach and health education articles in ethnic media. Please join us in reflecting on the successes of FY11 by reading our annual report.

ACT Hepatitis B Screening Event Recap

2011-11-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

After months of planning, AAHI collaborated with the Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC) to implement phase one of the comprehensive hepatitis B project. On Saturday, November 12, AAHI, KCSC, Global Mission Church (GMC), and a robust group of volunteers coordinated the screening day event. Prior to having their blood drawn for a hepatitis B test, community members attended a culturally and linguistically tailored health education lecture on hepatitis B. All participants will regroup in about one months time to receive their screening results, have a one-on-one screening consultation with a physician, and receive a free vaccination if needed. AAHI thanks KCSC, GMC, the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), and all of the volunteers for a smooth and successful event.

11-12-11 KCSC Hepatitis B Screening Day Event

"Grants101" Workshop

2011-11-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

Empowering Community Health Organizations (E.C.H.0.) Project 2012:

On Wednesday, November 9th, AAHI hosted the second workshop in a series of practical and professional workshops designed to empower and enhance the ability of community leaders to develop culturally and linguistically competent health programming to serve Asian Americans in Montgomery County. The workshop was facilitated by four expert panelists: Lauren Stillwell, Donor Services Manager, The Community Foundation for Montgomery County; Peggy Fitzgerald-Bare, Council Grants Manager, Montgomery County Council; Barbara Goliday, Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Holy Cross Hospital Foundation; and Stacey Williams, Grants Coordinator, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The panelists provided an overview of federal grants, County Council grants, and foundation grants. This event brought together a diverse group of community leaders hailing from various backgrounds. There were over 50 attendees representing 27 organizations. A sincere thank you to our expert speakers and our attendees for making this workshop a great success!

11-09-11 E.C.H.O. "Grants101" Workshop

Recap of Past Events

2011-11-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

We have had a full calendar these past few weeks! We attended three outreach events in the community, the Chinese American Senior Association (CASSA) health fair on October 29th, the Sri Lankan Buddhist Ceremony at the International Buddhist Temple on October 30th, and the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) health fair on November 5th. At all of these outreach events, we helped educate the community on several health topics such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, hepatitis B, and community resources to name a few. At the CASSA and CCACC health fairs, we were also able to conduct bone density screenings for the community.

In addition the the outreach events, we attended and presented at the American Public Health Association 139th Annual Meeting and Exposition. We had the opportunity to conduct three oral presentations and one poster presentation. It was a wonderful opportunity for professional development.

CASSA Health Fair, October 29, 2011:

10-29-11 CASSA Health Fair

International Buddhist Temple Ceremony, October 30, 2011:

10-30-11 Sri Lankan Buddhist Festival

APHA Meeting, October 31-November 1, 2011:

10-31 to 11-1 APHA Conference

CCACC Health Fair, November 5, 2011:

11-5-11 CCACC Health Fair

Call for Nominations for the Asian & Pacific Islander National Cancer Survivors Network National Advisory Council

2011-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Asian & Pacific Islander National Cancer Survivors Network is seeking nominations for the National Cancer Survivors Network National Advisory Council. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2011. Please click here for more information or read below. For the nomination form, please click here.

"APINCSN was founded in 1998 by Susan M. Shinagawa and the late
Reverend Frank Chong and is a network of cancer survivors, their
family members, health care providers, researchers, and community
members and organizations who are concerned about the issue of
cancer and survivorship in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. APINCSN is a program
of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF).
A volunteer National Advisory Council shall provide guidance to
assist APINCSN in pursuing its mission, vision, and goals.
Membership in the National Advisory Council shall come from the
United States and Pacific Island Jurisdictions and provide APIAHF
staff with input and recommendations on community-driven
strategies to enable them to better plan, implement, and evaluate
activities.Go to www.apincsn.org for more details."

2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Vaccination Campaign

2011-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
Montgomery County's 2011-2012 Seasonal Flu Vaccination Campaign will start next week.

Flu information directly from Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Website:

"Montgomery County health officials will offer FREE seasonal flu vaccinations on the dates and times listed on the calendar. There WILL NOT be any preservative free injectable vaccine available at the County clinics this year.

Some local retail locations have flu vaccine available now and all Montgomery County residents over the age of six months should get vaccinated.

Health officials encourage everyone to help prevent the spread of flu and many other contagious diseases by practicing the following good hygiene habits:

* Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue; immediately throw away used tissues.
* Sneeze and cough into the upper sleeve, not the hands.
* Wash hands frequently throughout the day.
* Wash hands by scrubbing together for 20 seconds with soap and warm water.
* Stay home from school and work is symptoms develop such as a fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, headache and body aches."

All vaccinations are by appointment only. To make an online appointment, click here. If you do not have access to internet, please call 311 or 240-777-0311 to make an appointment.

Recap of Past Event: World of Montgomery Festival

2011-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
On Sunday, October 16, the Asian American Health Initiative participated in the World of Montgomery Festival in Wheaton, Maryland. The Festival included various art and cultural activities celebrating the rich diversity of Montgomery County. In addition, there was a health fair, Ama Tu Vida, that AAHI tabled at. AAHI educated the community and provided literature on various health topics including cancer, hepatitis B, diabetes, osteoporosis, patient-provider communication, and community resources. Thank you to World of Montgomery and Ama Tu Vida for inviting us to participate!

Please view photos of the event here:

10-16-11 World of Montgomery Fair

Training Opportunity

2011-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

Next week there will be a Minority Outreach & Technical Assistance (MOTA) training on using Healthy Montgomery.

Date: Wednesday, October 26
Time: 6:00 - 9:00p.m.
Location: Holy Cross Hospital, Professional & Community Education Center, 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901

About Healthy Montgomery from their website:
"The Healthy Montgomery community health improvement process is a community-based effort to improve the health and well-being of Montgomery County residents. Healthy Montgomery is under the leadership of the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee, which includes planners, policy makers, health and social service providers and community members. The community improvement process includes data collection, identification of areas for improvement, priority-setting, collaborative efforts to address the priority needs in Montgomery County and monitoring the success of the improvement efforts."

KCSC ACT Hepatitis B Event

2011-10-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington (KCSC) will be hosting a hepatitis B event, Active Care and Treatment (ACT) of hepatitis B in the Korean community. The hepatitis B screening event will be held on Saturday, November 12 at Global Mission Church in Silver Spring. Participation is free, but preregistration is required. Space is limited. For more information please view one of the fliers:

English flier
Korean flier

CCACC STOP B Health Fair & Open House

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Chinese Culture and Community Service Center, Inc. is hosting a free health fair and open house on Saturday, November 5 from 1:00-5:00p.m. The Screening, Treatment, Outreach, and Prevention of hepatitis B (STOP B) event will include blood tests for hepatitis B. Preregistration is required for the blood tests. The event will be held at 9366 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. For more information, please click one of the fliers:

English flier
Chinese flier

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a real health concern for Asian American women.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
- "Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Asian American women"
- "Asian American women are the least likely to have ever had a mammogram"

The best prevention for breast cancer is getting screenings in a timely manner. There are more treatment options for breast cancer when it is caught early. Because breast cancer may not have symptoms in the beginning states, it is very important to follow screening recommendations. Women are encouraged to do breast self-exams every month to check for lumps or any other abnormalities. Also, the American Cancer Society recommends that women receive Clinical Breast Exams (CBEs) every 3 years starting from the age of 20. When women have reached age 40, they should receive a CBE every year. Furthermore, the Office on Women’s Health supports the guidelines that women should receive mammograms every 1-2 years starting at the age of 40.

To learn about local screening options for low-income, uninsured, Montgomery County residents, please contact one of these organizations (further eligibility criteria applies for each program):

1. Women's Cancer Control Program
Contact and scheduling information: 240-777-1750

2. Breast cancer screening program sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cutre, Holy Cross Hospital, and Holy Cross Hospital Foundation
Contact: Leticia Addo at 301-754-8407 or addol@holycrosshealth.org

AAHI "Grants 101" Workshop

2011-10-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

AAHI will be hosting a second technical assistance workshop this fall as part of the E.C.H.O. Project. The workshops are designed as a series of practical and professional technical assistance training workshops to empower and enhance the ability of community leaders to develop culturally and linguistically competent health programming to serve Asian Americans in Montgomery County.

Do you want to broaden your understanding of grants? Do you want to learn tips and strategies for writing a successful grant? Join us for this interactive workshop where our expert panelists will provide an overview of federal grants, County Council grants, and foundation grants. Community leaders and organizational representatives who serve Asian Americans in Montgomery County are encouraged to attend. Attendees will have an opportunity to network with the panelists and ask individual questions.

“Grants 101”
Date: Wednesday, November 9
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (including a light dinner and networking from 5:30-6:00)
Location: Silver Spring Civic Building, Spring Room, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Parking in the County garage is free upon exit after 6 p.m

RSVP is required and space is limited. Please view the flier for required RSVP information and email AAHI Program Coordinator, Atyya Chaudhry at Atyya.Chaudhry@montgomerycountymd.gov by Thursday, November 3rd. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Chaudhry via email or telephone at 240-777-1871.

Recap of Past Events

2011-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

This past weekend, we had an exciting and eventful weekend in the community! Our staffers and interns attended two health fairs in Silver Spring, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. At the health fairs, we provided health education and brought literature on various health topics including cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis B, diabetes, and community resources. We also engaged the community in health education using our interactive Wheel of Health Education. At the events, we were also able to screen community members for bone density. We thank KCSC and SASDA for inviting us to these wonderful events!

Korean Community Service Center (KCSC) Health Fair: Saturday, September 24

9-24-11 KCSC Health Fair

Southern Asian Seven Day Adventist Church (SASDA) Health Fair: Sunday, September 25

9-25-11 SASDA Health Fair

FREE Cancer Screenings!

2011-09-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and share with your family and friends. Holy Cross Hospital will be hosting a FREE cancer screening and education day. This is an opportunity to become proactive about your health and take preventative steps.

Check out the flier for more information:

Welcome Fall 2011 Interns!

2011-09-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

AAHI is pleased to welcome our fall 2011 interns. Carolyn Ho and Candace Lee are both seniors and are joining us from the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland College Park.

Join us in welcoming our interns and reading their introductions:

Carolyn Ho
Hi, my name is Carolyn Ho and I am a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. In December, I will be graduating with Bachelor degrees in Behavioral and Community Health and Psychology. My interest for joining Asian American Health Initiative stemmed from my desire to obtain an in-depth understanding of how a public health organization works and to be part of a team who is very hands-on with the Asian American community. I have a strong interest in mental health so I hope that I can provide some innovative ideas for AAHI in that area. I would like to come out of this fall internship experience with a breadth of knowledge on the AAPI community as well as improved skills sets to help further my professionalism development in preparation for post-graduation. In the future, I hope to pursue graduate studies in Pubic Health and work for a public health organization. I am excited to be part of the AAHI team and look forward to the opportunities and learning experiences that I will encounter during my time here.

Candace Lee
Hi, my name is Candace Lee. I am a senior at the University of Maryland College Park, School of Public Health and pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral and Community Health. I was interested in interning at AAHI because I wanted the opportunity to interact with the diverse Asian American community and gain a better understanding of AAPI’s health status in the county I grew up in. As an intern, I am excited for opportunities to participate in the planning and implementing of health innovations and strategies, while acquiring the professional skills beneficial for my future career. I also want to invest quality time assisting AAHI on researching other unaddressed and important health issues that may have been overlooked, thus expanding AAHI’s resources and services. Currently, I have a growing interest on the field of Health IT because I am intrigued by how technology and health could be interrelated to improve the health care system and ultimately the health of individuals. After graduation, I plan to further my studies in Health IT.

September is Fall Prevention Month

2011-09-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

Did you know that falls are the number one cause of injury-related emergency room visits and hospital admissions for Marylanders over the age of 65? Falls are a serious health threat that can lead to long-term disability and loss of independence. Falls are very preventable; to learn how to reduce your risk for falls, check out AAHI’s website for a resourceful poster on fall prevention. The poster is available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Adventist HealthCare Center on Health Disparities 5th Annual Fall Conference

2011-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,

Adventist HealthCare's Center on Health Disparities in partnership with Kaiser Permanente Thrive, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Asian American Health Initiative, the African American Health Program, and the Latino Health Initiative, will be hosting their 5th Annual Fall Conference, “Partnering Toward a Healthier Future: Achieving Health Equity through Health Care Reform,” this November. The free conference will focus on the impact that the implementation of health care reform will have on improving the health of vulnerable populations and the elimination of health disparities.

Date: Wednesday, November 2
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Location: The Marriott Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College
3501 University Blvd. East, Hyattsville, Maryland 20783
Registration: Click here

Eighth Annual Health Disparities Conference

2011-09-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities Presents Maryland’s Eighth Annual Health Disparities Conference. This free conference, Maryland's Health Workforce: Promoting Diversity and Strengthening the Pipeline, will be held in October.

The purpose of the conference is to highlight ways to build health professions
educational partnerships that reduce student barriers, strengthen the pipeline,
promote diversity, and ultimately reduce minority health disparities.

Target Audience: Academic representatives, health providers, students,
community advocates, health departments, other governmental agencies,
legislators, non-profit & for-profit entities, and the business community.

Date: Tuesday, October 4
Time: 8:30am - 4:00pm
Location: The Marriott Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College
3501 University Blvd. East, Hyattsville, Maryland 20783
Registration: Click here

For more information, please view the flier:

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

2011-09-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Help raise awareness by sharing information with your family and friends.

Prostate cancer is cancer that begins in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system.

Did you know that…?

- Prostate cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in men over age 75
- The risk of developing prostate cancer increases among Asian American men when they immigrate to the U.S
- Men who abuse alcohol, tire plant workers, farmers, and painters are at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer?

Learn more about prostate cancer, risk factors, symptoms, treatment and prevention by reading AAHI's cancer facts booklets, available in multiple languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Hindi and Vietnamese.

If you are a Montgomery County resident and are interested in getting a screening (eligibility criteria applies), you can contact Montgomery County Cancer Crusaders at 240-777-1222 for more information. You can also contact MC311 for information on other screenings; call 311 if you are in Montgomery County and 240-777-0311 if you are outside of Montgomery County. Visit MC311’s website for more information.

September is Healthy Aging Month

2011-09-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

There are many health observances in the month of September, two of them include Healthy Aging Month and National Cholesterol Education Month. As individuals age, it is important to maintain good health and overall well-being. Check out these free resources from local hospitals that are specifically designed for the aging & senior population (eligibility criteria may apply):

Suburban Hospital HeartWell Program:
Description: HeartWell is a nationally recognized program helping senior citizens maintain their health and independence. Appropriate for adults ages 55 and over who have a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other chronic illnesses. Through this approach, participants discover how to reduce the frequency of hospitalizations while maintaining a high level of independent functioning. The HeartWell Clinics focus on preventive guidelines, symptom recognition and management, medication, diet, and lifestyle enhancements, as well as providing nursing consultations from Suburban Hospital RN’s on blood pressure monitoring and individual health education. Free! For more information, call 301.896.6507.
Locations and Dates:
City of Gaithersburg Senior Center, 80 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg MD: Tuesdays | 9 am - 2 pm

Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton MD:
Tuesdays | 9 am - 12 pm
Wednesdays and Thursdays | 9 am - 3 pm

Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring MD:
1st Thursday of each month | 10 am - 2 pm

Margaret Schweinhaut Center, 1000 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring MD:
Wednesdays | 10 am - 2:00 pm

For more information on HeartWell, click here.

Holy Cross Hospital Senior Fit Program
Description: Senior Fit is a 45-minute exercise program for adults age 55 and older that focuses on upper- and lower-body strength, balance, agility and cardiovascular fitness. Offered at 20 locations in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. You may enroll at any time.
Class schedule:
For more information call 301-754-8800 or visit their classes & events website.

Holy Cross Hospital Better Bones Class
Description: Better Bones is an osteoporosis prevention and management exercise class that focuses on maintaining bone density while improving strength, flexibility, and balance. Some exercises are done seated. For adults ages 55 and older. You may enroll at any time.
Class schedule:
For more information visit their classes & events website.

Upcoming Events

2011-09-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

AAHI will be participating in a few events this September:

1. Filipino Mass, 25th Anniversary Event
Date: Sunday, September 11
Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: St. Rose of Lima Church
11701 Clopper Rd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
Description: This event is a celebration in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Filipino Mass

2. Korean Community Service Center (KCSC) Health Fair
Date: Saturday, September 24
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Korean Baptist Church
310 Randolph Road, Silver Spring, MD (Lower Level Followship Room)
Description: KCSC's 29th annual health fair will include health information and health screenings.

Be sure to check out our calendar of events for more information on upcoming events and other resources in the community.

What's Your Story?

2011-09-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

AAHI community,
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders wants to hear your story. They are calling for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to share their experiences and much more through a video or essay challenge. The video should be under 3 minutes and the essay under 1,000 words. The deadline for submission is midnight November 1, 2011.

Message from the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:
There is nothing more powerful than the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Our stories define who we are, and they reflect our impact on the community around us. At the White House Initiative on AAPIs, we seek to amplify these voices nationally. We are pleased to announce the first ever White House Initiative Video Challenge, called “What’s Your Story?”

We’re calling on you to produce a video, up to three minutes long, telling us who you are and how you have impacted those around you. In your video, answer the questions: How have your unique experiences shaped who you are today? And in what ways are you making a difference in your community? Everyone is welcomed to participate.

We will review the submissions and post a select number of entries on the White House website. In addition, we’ll invite a group of exceptional AAPI leaders to share their stories in person at the White House this fall as special guests in a White House Initiative on AAPIs event. To learn more about the challenge, watch our call-out video here:

To submit your video and learn more about the challenge, go to www.whitehouse.gov/whatsyourstory. The deadline for video submissions is midnight on November 1, 2011.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing your stories.

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

2011-08-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

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

Internship Opportunities in NYC

2011-08-26T14:00:00.001-07:00

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

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

2011-08-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

# # #

Your Help Needed!

2011-08-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

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.

Job Opportunity in San Francisco

2011-08-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Fourth Annual MCPS Back- to -School Fair

2011-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

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.

Free Diabetes Classes

2011-08-19T11:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Free Blood Pressure Screenings

2011-08-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

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

Free Citizenship Class

2011-08-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

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

2011-08-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

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.

AAHI Says Goodbye to Summer 2011 Interns

2011-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

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!

Local Resources in the Community

2011-08-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Celebrating Our Health Promoters

2011-07-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
On Thursday, June 30th, AAHI hosted an end of fiscal year celebration for their dedicated team of health promoters. The celebration was held at the Executive Office Building in Rockville. The evening consisted of various activities: wheel of health education raffle prizes, human bingo and a review of health promoter contributions in fiscal year 2011. The health promoters also contributed to the celebration by bringing a variety of dishes and desserts from their respective cultures.

At AAHI, we deeply appreciate the commitment and passion of our health promoters. They serve as the eyes and ears of the community and help educate AAHI on cultural competency. Even beyond outreach activities, health promoters assist AAHI on various projects. We thank you for your work and we hope that together we can build a healthier community.

Pictures from the celebration:

6-30-11 Health Promoter Celebration

Recap of Past Events

2011-06-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

As the fiscal year is winding down, AAHI capped off the year with two final events.

Friday June 24:
AAHI attended a Minority Communities Empowerment Project (MCEP) event, Teens Tackle Tobacco. This interactive event was held at the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg. It was a very lively and wonderful event, drawing scores of youth with their families. Through the use of dance and music, they educated the audience about tobacco prevention by sharing interesting facts and personal stories. At several points, the crowd also got involved in various dance and exercise activities to demonstrate that these activities would be very difficult for a smoker. AAHI brought their wheel of health education focusing on tobacco questions. The wheel was popular at the event, several youth spun the wheel to answer tobacco-related questions. We thank our MCEP partners for making this event such a success. For pictures, please visit our public photo gallery:

6-24-11 Teens Tackle Tobacco

Saturday June 25:
AAHI has been working closely with the Cambodian Senior Association and Martha Piedrasanta, a Registered Dietitian from Holy Cross Hospital Health Center to coordinate a lecture for the senior group on nutrition and well-being. After several weeks of planning, the event took place at the Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Silver Spring. The lecture was culturally and linguistically tailored (through use of a community translator) for the Cambodian senior audience. The audience was very engaged and asked wonderful questions. We warmly thank Martha Piedrasanta and the Cambodian Senior Association for working with us on to make this lecture a success!
For pictures, please visit our public photo gallery:

6-25-11 Cambodian Senior Association Nutrition Lecture

Upcoming Event: Teens Tackle Tobacco

2011-06-21T08:07:00.001-07:00

AAHI community,

This Friday, June 24 there is a youth tobacco education event, Teens Tackle Tobacco. There will be demonstrations and prizes, it is open to all ages. For more information you can call 301-469-8678.

Date: June 24, 2011

Location: Lakefront Plaza (between Uncle Julio's & Joe's Crab Shack)
221 Rio Boulevard
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm

View the flier for more information.

National Mens Health Week

2011-06-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

AAHI community,
June marks national Men's Health Month, more specifically June 13-19 is National Men's Health Week. It is important for men to be aware of health issues that can impact their lives.

Prostate cancer- did you know...
- According to a research study, that the risk of developing prostate cancer increases among Asian American men when they immigrate to the U.S

- According to NIH, prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages

- According to NIH, prostate cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in men over age 75

- When prostate cancer is detected early, there are more treatment options and a greater chance for survival

It is important for men to take proactive steps to prevent prostate cancer. Starting at age 50 talk to your doctor about prostate cancer screenings. To learn more about prostate cancer, visit NIH's website by clicking here.

NIAMS Publications

2011-06-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

AAHI community,

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) has released six new health information publications in Chinese, the topics include acne, back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, knee problems and sprains & strains. For these six publications, AAHI supported NIAMS in reviewing the translation quality in both written and audio formats. Please feel free to share these informative publications with family & friends, you can find them on the web by clicking here.

Welcome Summer 2011 Interns!

2011-06-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

AAHI welcomes summer 2011 interns, Katherine Ip from the University of Maryland, College Park and Andrew Poo from Emory University. Katherine and Andrew are both rising juniors at their respective university's. We warmly welcome Katherine and Andrew and hope this internship is an invaluable experience for them.

Katherine and Andrew have written brief biographies about their respective backgrounds:

Katherine Ip
Hi, my name is Katherine Ip. I am a rising junior at the University of Maryland at College Park, pursuing a degree in Behavioral and Community Health. I am interested in AAHI’s work not only because I am a member of the Asian American community of Montgomery County, but also because I have a firm conviction that big changes start at home. If we want to improve Asian American health on a national level, we must work to improve it in our own communities, starting with our families and friends. I look forward to participating in and learning from AAHI’s work, especially their outreach events.

Andrew Poo
Hi, my name is Andrew Poo and I am a Summer Intern at the Asian American Health Initiative. I am a rising junior at Emory University, pursuing a Bachelors of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Health. I am very excited in becoming part of the AAHI family; and I look forward to interacting with the Montgomery County Asian American communities. Through AAHI, I hope to achieve a better understanding of the health issues that affect Asian Americans, and analyze the various plans proposed to solve each issue. I hope to learn more about public health and the “inner workings” of a public health organization, and also gain opportunities to conduct research in a specific subject of public health. As a member of the Montgomery County Asian American community, I am eager to help and give back to my neighbors. In my free time, I enjoy playing badminton, watching movies, and swimming.

May Wrap Up

2011-06-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

AAHI community,
It is already the beginning of June! AAHI had a full calendar of events for the month of May. Many of our activities in May focused on mental health as May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

To cap off the month, AAHI coordinated two mental health awareness activities:

1. May 24- AAHI worked with Asian American LEAd (AALEAD), a youth organization and Family Services, Inc. to coordinate a workshop on mental health for youth. The workshop discussed ways on how to stay mentally healthy. Thank you to Family Services, Inc., AALEAD and all the wonderful youth for making this event a great success!

2. May 26- AAHI coordinated their monthly health promoter meeting, this meeting was a training on mental health and Asian Americans. AAHI worked with Nancy Ebb from Child Center and Adult Services, Inc. to facilitate the training. It was a very informative presentation, AAHI staff, interns and Health Promoters learned a great deal on the impact of mental health in Asian American communities. Thank you Nancy for such an eye-opening presentation!

5-26-11 Health Promoter Meeting

Farewell Spring 2011 Interns

2011-05-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

AAHI says farewell yet again to another group of interns. Patricia Nguyen and Rebeka Sultana joined the AAHI team from the University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health. As senior Community Health majors, Patricia and Rebeka participated in a semester-long internship as a part of their undergraduate experience.

As spring was a very busy season for AAHI, especially with these newer initiatives, the interns provided critical support for AAHI tasks. They actively participated in various AAHI activities from outreach events, to attending trainings and reaching out to small businesses for the Independent Outreach Project.

In addition to working side-by-side with AAHI staff, the interns also completed independent projects. Patricia worked on a nail salon project highlighting the health concerns of nail salon workers. This is especially important among the Asian American community as many nail salons are staffed with Asian American employees. Rebeka worked on a project highlighting mental health among Asian American youth. Through her research she found that mental health is an important health concern for Asian American youth and it should be addressed.

We thank Patricia and Rebeka for their hard work and wonderful contributions to AAHI's projects! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Past Event; AAHI Workshop

2011-05-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, May 19, AAHI hosted a technical assistance workshop, MCDHHS101. This workshop is the first in a series of practical and professional technical assistance training workshops designed to empower and enhance the ability of community leaders to develop culturally and linguistically competent health programming.

MCDHHS101 was a training workshop provided by two individuals from Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services: Betty Lam, Chief of Office of Community Affairs and Luis Martinez, Diversity Outreach Coordinator. The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of the various services and resources available through the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and how that information could be useful and accessible for communities.

We thank all of our community partners who took time out of their schedules to attend this workshop. We hope the information was useful and will benefit your programs as we all work towards building a healthier community.

Pictures of the evening can be found here:

5-19-11 AAHI Workshop

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

2011-05-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

AAHI Community,
May is Mental Health Awareness month, what do you know about mental health and Asian Americans? Below are some facts from the National Alliance on mental health and Asian Americans:
• "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the lowest rates of utilization of mental health services among ethnic populations"
• "Among elderly women of all ethnic or racial groups, Asians have the highest suicide rate"
• "According to mental health care providers: Asian American women ages 15-24 have a higher rate of suicide than Caucasians,African Americans and Latinos in that age group"
• "Many Southeast Asian refugees are at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with trauma experienced before and after immigration to the United States."

Mental health problems can affect anyone, no matter race, ethnicity, gender or age. In this months outreach efforts, AAHI has employed various tactics to help educate community members on mental health.

Thursday, May 12- AAHI attended the Wellness and Recovery Resource Fair at the Executive Office Building in Rockville. AAHI brought their wheel of health education focusing on mental health. The wheel is an interactive method of engaging the community in health education.

Saturday, May 14- AAHI attended the Annual Women's Event. This event was a wonderful and interactive event for women, filled with education, information, screenings and various interactive demonstrations. AAHI set up a table with their wheel of health education focusing on mental health.

Thank you to our partners for allowing us participate at both of these outreach events.

For Mental Health Awareness month, AAHI has published educational articles on mental health in the Washington Chinese News and the Korea Daily. Thank you to both of our media partners for working with us to publish these articles.

Upcoming Webinar

2011-05-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

The National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians invites you to attend a free webinar on preventive services on Saturday, June 18 at 2:00pm ET. For more information, please view the flier by clicking here.

Upcoming Events

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
There are several upcoming events in the next few days. This Thursday, May 12, from 10am-2pm there is the Stroke Awareness Day at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. Also on that day from 4:30pm-8pm, there is the Wellness and Recovery Fair at the Executive Office Building in Rockville. For more information, please view our calendar:

This Saturday, May 14, Holy Cross Hospital is hosting their Annual Women's Health Event from 10am-1:30pm. The event will include health lectures, screenings, demonstrations and much more! The event will be held at Holy Cross Hospital Professional and Community Education Center 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD. Please view the flier for more information:

Metro Improving Access in a Linguistically Competent Manner

2011-05-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA)website is now available in five languages: Spanish, French, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese. We hope the availability of Metro's website in these languages will help reduce transportation barriers for limited-English proficient populations.

Share this wonderful resource with family and friends, you can visit the website by clicking here. To change languages navigate to the top of the page where this is an image of the globe.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

2011-05-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
May marks an especially exciting month for AAHI as it is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. At AAHI, we are proud to celebrate the generations of Asians and Pacific Islanders (API) who have made an impact in our country, our state and our county.

On a local level, Montgomery County is home to nearly half of Maryland's Asian American population. According to the 2010 US Census, approximately 42.5% of Maryland's Asian American population resides in Montgomery County which is equivalent to about 13.9% of the County's population. We would like to take this time to thank and salute our fellow partners for working together to build a stronger Asian Pacific American community.

There are several events in the DC-Metropolitan area to celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage. If you are interested in learning more about APA Heritage Month and activities related to this month, please click here.

Past Events: End of April & Beginning of May

2011-05-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

AAHI bid farewell to April and welcomed May with a full calendar of events! In a span of 6 days, we attended 5 events and coordinated 1 training.

Starting on Thursday, April 28th, we hosted the monthly Health Promoter meeting. For this meeting, we invited Mr. Aaron Williams, Director of Research, from the Danya Institute (affiliated with SAMHSA) to conduct an 'Addiction 101' training. The training was very informative touching upon substance abuse in the Asian American community, methods of prevention and treatment options. Thank you to Mr. Aaron for taking the time to train AAHI Health Promoters, interns and staff. We look forward to working with you in the future. Pictures from the training:

The training was followed by several events on Saturday, April 30th. This was a very busy yet equally exciting day for AAHI. Our AAHI team divided to participate in 3 events!
Chinese American Senior Service Association (CASSA) Health Fair: we attended this wonderful health fair and provided health education and bone density screenings. We provided health information and education on various topics including cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis B, community resources, and diabetes. We would like to thank CASS for inviting us to participate in the event. Pictures of the event:

Also on this Saturday, we participated in the health fair at Global Mission Church (GMC). Similar to CASSA, at this health fair, we provided health information and education on a variety of concerns and conducted bone density screenings. Prior to this event, we trained volunteers from GMC at AAHI's office on how to conduct the bone density screening, interpret results and provide education. We want to thank the GMC volunteers for attending the training and for inviting us to participate in their event. Pictures of the event:

Lastly, on Saturday, we also attended an event at Holy Cross Hospital titled, To Your Health! This was a wonderful health screening and education day provided to the community. Holy Cross Hospital was providing preventative screenings including cholesterol, glucose, clinical breast exam, pap test, digital rectal exam and prostate antigen test. Thank you to Holy Cross Hospital for inviting us to attend and provide our health information. Pictures of the event:

The following day, Sunday May 1st, we had the opportunity to attend and exhibit at the Montgomery County Health & Resources Fair held at the Executive Office Building. This was a great opportunity for us to educate the community about our programs. We want to thank the organizers for allowing us to participate in this event. Pictures from event:

And finally, today, Monday May 2nd, we participated in the Active Aging Expo held at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. As always, this event has a lot of great organizations and activities. We attended the event to provide health information and health education various health concerns. We also utilized our Wheel of Health Education as an interactive method for engaging the community. The questions covered a variety of topics including mental health, hepatitis B, breast cancer and tobacco. We really enjoyed being with the aging community and thank you to the organizers for providing us the space to exhibit! Pictures from the event:

All these events would not have been possible with our dedicated Health Promoters- thank you all for your continual support in building a healthier community. And a great big thank you to our interns for their participation this weekend too!

Upcoming Event: To Your Health

2011-04-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
THIS Saturday, April 30th, Holy Cross Hospital will be hosting a FREE health fair offering education exhibits and screenings! There will be preventative screenings for cancer including prostate-specific antigen, digital rectal examination, clinical breast exam and pap test. Also, there will be glucose and cholesterol screenings. Screenings are first come first served. Please inform your family and friends of this event, it is very beneficial for our community.
Date: April 30, 2011
Time: 10:00am-2:00pm (registration begins at 8:00am)
Location: Holy Cross Hospital, Professional Community Education Center
1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
*Fee parking will be available in the Dameron Employee Garage on Forest Glen Road & Dameron Drive.

For additional information and/or to register, you can call 301-754-8800 or view the flier for more information.

Upcoming Workshop: MCDHHS 101

2011-04-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

As part of the Empowering Community Health Organizations (E.C.H.O.) Project 2011, AAHI is hosting a series of practical and professional technical assistance training workshops to empower and enhance the ability of community leaders to develop culturally and linguistically competent health programming to serve Asian Americans in Montgomery County.

This spring's first free workshop will provide an overview of resources and services of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MCDHHS), information about state and federally funded health programs, and the availability and accessibility of local resources for YOUR community. Community leaders and organizational representatives who serve Asian Americans in Montgomery County are encouraged to attend.

Date: Thursday, May 19th
Time: 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Location: Spring Room
Silver Spring Civic Building
1 Veterans Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Parking in the County garage is free upon exit after 6 p.m.
Space is limited. Please contact Atyya Chaudhry at Atyya.Chaudhry@montgomerycountymd.gov or at 240-777-1871 to RSVP by Friday, May 13th.

Wat Thai Songkran (New Years) Festival

2011-04-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 17th, AAHI attended the Songkran Festival, celebrating the New Year at Wat Thai Washington DC Temple in Silver Spring. Although it was a blustery day, AAHI was warmed with the bright colors and celebrations of the event! AAHI setup a health information table and provided education on cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart health, nutrition and tobacco cessation. We utilized our 'Wheel of Health Education', an interactive educational game where participants spin a wheel and answer question on health topics, the topics at the festival were on tobacco, breast cancer and hepatitis B. AAHI also provided carbon monoxide screening to participants.

The festival was a wonderful event, drawing in crowds in the hundreds! There were other organizations present including Thai Alliance America, the Farmers Insurance Group and the Thai Embassy. In addition, many community members were selling food and cultural items. Our AAHI team enjoyed the event and we would like thank the Thai community for allowing us to be there!

Please view pictures of the event:

Past Event: Health Fair at Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque

2011-04-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, April 9th, AAHI partnered with the Bait-ur-Rahman Mosque in Silver Spring to host a Muslim women health fair. The health fair was one part of a weekend long sports tournament held at the Mosque. The nature of the even was to promote fitness and wellness and as result, the health fair was a great success! The community greatly benefited from the various screenings and health education provided by the vendors. Participants had the opportunity to receive bone density screenings, skin analysis screening, blood pressure and body mass index analysis. Participants were educated on various topics including cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, nutrition, wellness and much more!

In addition there was a wonderful presentation provided by a community physician on the topics of breast cancer and osteoporosis. The comprehensive lectures provided an overview of the health concerns, risk factors, symptoms, treatment and prevention. The community had the opportunity to soak in this information and educate their family and friends. To wrap-up the event, there was an interactive tai-chi demonstration to help educate women on the important of strengthening their bones.

The health fair had quite a turnout, there were over 200 participants! We want to sincerely thank all of our vendors for participating and continuing to support AAHI. In addition, we would like to thank our Health Promoters for continuously doing an amazing job and the Mosque and community volunteers for welcoming this health fair!

As this was an all women's event, the participants were not wearing their headscarves. To remain culturally sensitive, there are no pictures of the event.

Past Event: March Health Promoter Meeting

2011-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, March 31st, AAHI hosted their monthly Health Promoter meeting. For this meeting, AAHI invited the American Heart Association to conduct a training on heart and stroke health among Asian Americans. The training was very informative and relevant to Asian American health- did you know that heart disease is the second leading cause of death among Asian Americans, and stroke is the third leading cause of death?
These are important health issues in our community and now our Health Promoters are outfitted with the knowledge and tools to educate the community.

A special thank you to Roxanna and Jessica from the American Heart Association for a wonderful training!

You can view pictures here:

Upcoming Conference:

2011-03-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
On Tuesday, April 12th the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences Center for Health Disparities is hosting a conference in collaboration with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore during National Minority Heath Month on Health Disparities the conference is titled, "Reducing Health Disparities through Strengthening and Sustaining Healthy Communities: Stronger Together!" and it will be held at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. For more information and to register, please Click Here.

Date: Tuesday, April 12th
Time: 8:00am-5:00pm
Location: University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Richard A. Henson Center. Princess Anne, MD
Registration: Please view the website

Description: "This conference will feature locally recognized academic and community presenters addressing disparities in the health status between racial and ethnic minorities, in urban and rural settings, and the general population in Maryland and the nation. The conference will also address the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), health care reform, and its opportunities and challenges in Maryland for individuals to receive services to which they currently lack access. Lastly, this conference will highlight ongoing research programs and efforts (including community engagement programs and a community network program) that are aimed to understand the underlying causes of specific disparities and to identify new strategies to reduce them and to strengthen diverse, multi-disciplinary partnerships and perspectives."

Free Upcoming Event for the Community

2011-03-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dear AAHI community,
Two individuals from Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services will be presenting on elder care and aging in Montgomery County. This event will deal with the theme of ' Living and Thriving in Montgomery County'. You will have the opportunity to learn about successful aging and resources available. Please view the flier for more information.

Date: Sunday, April 3rd
Time: 9:30am-11:30am
Location: Silver Spring Jewish Center
1401 Arcola Ave., Silver Spring, MD

2011 National Healthy Homes Conference

2011-03-22T08:51:00.001-07:00

Spring Health Screening and Education Event

2011-03-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
Did you know that among the Asian American community, heart disease is the second leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death? It is important for Asian Americans to learn about their cardiovascular health!

On Sunday, April 3rd, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital will be hosting their fifth annual 'Spring Health Screening and Education Event' from 1pm to 4pm. The event will be focusing on heart and vascular health. They will have various screenings such as body composition, blood pressure, step test, among many others. They will also have health chats where participants have the opportunity to learn more about diabetes, heart health and vascular health.

Please view the flier for more information:

VNMAP Results Day

2011-03-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, March 13th, AAHI in support of the Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) held a hepatitis B screening results and vaccination day. This event was the one month follow up to the hepatitis B screening event held in February. The event went very smoothly, participants who got screened in February came by to receive their results. They had the opportunity to sit through and educational session and meet with a physician one on one to discuss their results.

At the event, AAHI brought their wheel of health education, focusing on hepatitis B questions. In addition, AAHI educated participants about cancer and osteoporosis. Thank you to all of our partners for making this event a great success!

FREE Cancer Screening Event

2011-03-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

AAHI Community,
- Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans?
- March is National Colorectal Awareness Month, according to the CDC "Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. If everyone aged 50 years old or older were screened regularly, as many as 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided."

What are you waiting for? The time for preventative screenings is NOW!

There is a FREE cancer screening event this Sunday, March 20th from 9am to 1pm. Shady Grove Adventist Hospital located in Rockville will be screening for bladder, colorectal, oral, prostate, skin, thyroid and clinical breast exams. Space is limited, please call 800-542-5096 to preregister.
Date: Saturday, March 20th
Time: 9am-1pm
Location: Shady Grove Adventist Hospital
9901 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

Cancer: It Does Not Discriminate

2011-03-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, March 26th there is an event at Holy Cross Hospital titled, 'Cancer: It Does Not Discriminate'. This event is FREE for the community and requires pre-registration. The event will discuss cancer control and tobacco cessation through various presentations and panel discussions. In addition to the discussions, there will be an international lunch and cultural performances. Please feel free to spread the message to your communities.

Please see the flier for more information and to register call 301-754-8800.

AAHI Launches New Website and Five-Year Strategic Plan

2011-03-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,

On Tuesday, March 1st, AAHI Steering Committee officially launched AAHI's newly fashioned multilingual and culturally competent website. In addition to the website, our Steering Committee also supported us in launching AAHI's five year Strategic Plan. The new website and Strategic Plan were unveiled nationally and sent to all our partners and supporters through AAHI's bi-monthly newsletter. Thank you to our Steering Committee for your continual support.

AAHI Website:
AAHI's website is available in English and four Asian languages: Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Hindi. This website is a source for the community to learn more about AAHI, our programs, projects, to download free educational materials, read our publications, find resources in the County, learn ways to get involved and more. The updated website will be a valuable resource for the community. Please visit the website at www.AAHIinfo.org

Strategic Plan:
As the pan-Asian American-serving health program in Montgomery County, AAHI remains committed to improving the health of Asian Americans. AAHI has formulated a strategic plan with five strategic targets to define and guide their goals and objectives between 2011and 2015. Please click here to view the Strategic Plan.

Target A: Enhance access to culturally and linguistically competent care
Target B: Promote community mobilization and empowerment
Target C: Strengthen partnerships and collaborations
Target D: Enhance data collection and reporting
Target E: Establish organizational sustainability

Interested in joining our newsletter listserv? Click here!

FREE Cancer Screening Day at Washington Adventist Hospital

2011-03-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community,
Washington Adventist Hospital is holding their FREE Annual Cancer Screening Day this Sunday, March 6th, from 9am to 1pm. This event will greatly benefit our community by providing an opportunity for preventative screenings.Free screenings include bladder, colorectal, oral, prostate, skin, thyroid and clinical breast exams. This is also an opportunity to educate our family and friends about the importance of screenings and encourage them to attend.

Address: Washington Adventist Hospital
7600 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912

* Space is limited for screenings. You can learn more at wwww.adventisthealthcare.com/screenings or call 800-542-5096.
Please view the flier for more information.

Upcoming Events

2011-03-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

Dear AAHI Community,
There are a few upcoming events and one training during the first two weeks of March. These events are open to all, if the events are of interest to you, please consider attending. Kicking off the month, there are two events this Thursday.

March 3rd:
1). Holy Cross Hospital will be holding a training on health education and messaging among low literacy populations.
Address: Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring, MD
Time: 6pm-8pm
2). Community networking event for Asian Pacific American students at University of Maryland to connect with local volunteer and internship opportunities.
Address: UMCP, Orem Alumni Hall, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center
Time: 6pm-8pm

March 10th:
3).There will be a symposium at George Washington University titled "Eliminating Breast Cancer Health Disparities: Communicating to At-Risk Populations".
Address: The George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium 805 21st St., NW - Washington, DC 20052
Time: 10am

More information about the event:
RSVP by March 4th to: HChaney@focr.org, or 703.302.1540
Keynote: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
Welcome and Opening Remarks: Steven Knapp, PhD, President, The George Washington University
Panelists:
Rachel F. Brem, MD, Director, Breast Imaging and Interventional Center, The George Washington University Medical Center Tesha Coleman, MS, Program Director, Clinical Services, Capital Breast Care Center Marc Hurlbert, PhD, Director, Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade Christopher Masi, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, The University of Chicago Stephen Taplin, MD, MPH, Senior Scientist, Office of the Associate Director of the Applied Research Program, NCI

"The symposium will explore how cancer centers, community health centers, advocacy organizations and government agencies are disseminating information to a variety of populations, especially those in underserved sectors. The discussion will examine the impact of the fall 2009 United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for routine mammograms and seek to develop recommendations on how to better to communicate to at risk populations".

February Wrap-Up

2011-02-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

Breaking out of our winter shell, February has been a month of revitalization. At AAHI, the month kicked off with an exciting celebration of the Lunar New Year. On February 6th, the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) held a Lunar New Year event at Lakeforest Mall. The day was filled with cultural events. AAHI provided health education on various topics and conducted carbon monoxide screenings for the community.

Following the CCACC event, AAHI had a busy week. on Tuesday, February 8th, AAHI held a training for the Independent Outreach Project (IOP). Through this project AAHI aims outreach to the most isolated communities such as small businesses, and educate them about health issues and services available in the County.

The next morning, AAHI staffer Sanjana along with our new interns Patricia and Rebeka visited the Vietnamese American Senior Association (VASA) at Longbranch Community Center. At this gathering, Patricia, fluent in Vietnamese, presented in language to the Vietnamese seniors about hepatitis B and importance of prevention. She provided information about the upcoming hepatitis B screening, which was held on February 13th.

On February 16th, AAHI staff, Health Promoters and interns attended a very informative training at Holy Cross Hospital, Self-Advocacy and Local Health Delivery. To wrap up the month, AAHI held a health promoter meeting on February 24th. The meeting was very enlightening for AAHI staff and Health Promoters, as Sharla Quintanilla, Program Manager II presented on Medical Assistance and Entitlements Access.

A special thanks to all our partners for allowing us to attend these events and for continuing to work with AAHI in our efforts for building a healthier community.

Launch of Healthy Montgomery Website

2011-02-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today, February 16th, marks the launch of the Health Montgomery Website. Below is an excerpt about the website taken directly from www.healthymontgomery.org:

"The Healthy Montgomery community health improvement process is a community-based effort to improve the health and well-being of Montgomery County residents. Healthy Montgomery is under the leadership of the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee, which includes planners, policy makers, health and social service providers and community members. The community improvement process includes data collection, identification of areas for improvement, priority-setting, collaborative efforts to address the priority needs in Montgomery County and monitoring the success of the improvement efforts.

Central to the detailed data available for each objective on this website is the Healthy Montgomery CHIP Data Repository. The Data Repository was developed and implemented by both Behavioral Health and Crisis Services (BHCS) and Public Health Services (PHS), through an intradepartmental collaboration in the Department of Health and Human Services. Maintenance on the annual data files for births, deaths, inpatient utilization, and emergency room utilization is provided by PHS through a semi-automated system to build reports that enable estimates for standardized metrics to be derived for small sub-groups within the County (including combinations of gender, age, race, and ethnicity-specific category results)."

Hepatitis B Screening & Education Event

2011-02-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

On Sunday February 13th, Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) with the support of AAHI, held a hepatitis B screening and education day, titled "SMASH B". The event was a great success! Over 100 participants were able to receive hepatitis B screenings. The participants first attended a health education lecture conducted by Dr. Loc Le and then proceeded to get their screenings. Following the screening, the participants completed evaluation forms and then trickled over to AAHI's outreach table. AAHI provided health education on various topics including cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis B and tobacco. As an interactive activity, AAHI brought a wheel of health education focusing on tobacco. The wheel was a big hit! Many participants enjoyed spinning the wheel and answering the questions, it was a wonderful method of engaging the participants. AAHI had the opportunity to educate most of the participants on the various health topics, it was a fulfilling event for AAHI staff, health promoters and interns!

A special thanks to VNMAP and all the volunteers for making this event such a success!

February is American Heart Month

2011-02-10T13:38:00.000-08:00

February is American Heart Month. What do you know about heart disease? Did you know that is is the second leading cause of death among Asian Americans? Did you know that there are certain conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes and lifestyle choices such as physical inactivity and tobacco use that put you at greater risk for developing heart disease? Learn more about heart disease, signs, symptoms, and prevention through the Center of Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) website by clicking here.

Welcome Spring 2011 Interns!

2011-02-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

AAHI is proud to welcome their new spring 2011 interns, Patricia Nguyen and Rebeka Sultana. Both interns are joining us from the University of Maryland's School of Public Health. We hope this internship provides great learning opportunities for the young professionals and we look forward to working closely with them over the course of this semester.

Patricia and Rebeka have written a few words about themselves:

Patricia Nguyen
Patricia Nguyen is a student intern at the University of Maryland, pursing a degree in behavioral and community health. She became interested in health education after taking a fundamental community health course at the University. She is fascinated by the whole aspect of health fairs and outreach events. She enjoys speaking with residents at health fairs and community events, especially with those who are different from her; people who have different values, attitudes, and prospective about life. For that reason, she can have a better perception of ones culture(s) because values and attitudes usually merge from ones own practices.
Interning at AAHI this spring, she hopes to build a better understanding of health problems among different ethnic groups of Asian Americans, as well as to learn new strategies in promoting health to each ethnic groups. In addition, she would like to spend a quality of time in research to gain an insight of new health concerns affecting Asian Americans.

Rebeka Sultana
Rebeka Sultana is a new intern at the Asian American Heath Initiative. She is a senior at the University of Maryland; College Park. She wants to learn about people, their needs, and most importantly how to help them to achieve a better quality of life. Since she loves being close to people, she decided to study in public health. The more she learns about health disparities in America, the more she is motivated to learn how to eliminate gaps between different racial/ ethnic groups. Therefore, she decided to intern at Asian American Health Initiative. She is looking forward to gaining hands on experiences in the Public health field and understaning public health in action.

Youth Job Fair

2011-02-03T07:51:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, March 26th, there will be a youth job fair for ages 16-21. The job fair will be held in the Silver Spring Civic Building in downtown Silver Spring from 10am-2pm. Please share this valuable information with family and friends.

AAHI Health Promoter Retreat

2011-02-02T11:51:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday, January 29th, AAHI hosted a Health Promoter Retreat. After days of harsh weather conditions and power outages, several Health Promoters came out to make the event successful. The day was filled with various activities. To start off, Health Promoters engaged in a team building exercise. The activities following were a case study on how to plan successful outreach and outreach scenario role play, these activities were meant to stimulate dialogue surrounding outreach tactics and how AAHI can improve. The retreat was a great success, Health Promoters actively participated and it became a learning opportunity for both AAHI staff and Health Promoters.

A special thanks to all our Health Promoters who attended the event and to Betty Lam, Chief of Community Affairs for also attending and showing her support of our efforts.

To view photos, click the link below:

4th Annual Heart Health Screening and Education Event

2011-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Dear AAHI Community,
February is heart health month. Are you interested in joining the fight against heart disease? On Saturday, February 12th, Holy Cross Hospital Community Health Department and the African American Health Program invite you to join their 4th Annual Heart Health Screening & Education Event. The event will take place from 10am to 2pm. There will be various free health screenings from body fat analysis to oral cancer screenings. To register, please call 301-754-8800.

For more information, please view the flier:

Chronic Disease Self Management Lecture Series

2011-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

AAHI Community, Holy Cross Hospital will be hosting a series of FREE lectures on chronic disease self-management. These lectures are a great opportunity for our community, family, and friends to learn more about management. The lectures will be held the last Wednesday of each month, beginning on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 and concluding on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 301-754-8800 to register and be entered into our raffle for an exciting prize; must be present to win. The topics that will be addressed are diabetes, chronic disease self management, cancer and arthritis. Please share this information with family and friends. The flier has more information on dates.

AAHI Publication Launch

2010-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI) has unveiled their latest electronic publication, Voices among the Silent: Stories of Struggle and Strength from Asian Americans in Montgomery County, Maryland. We are pleased to share this storybook publication with all of our partners and the community.

The storybook is a first hand account of the stories behind the statistics. This powerful collection of individual narratives intends to educate and raise awareness about the wide range of challenges faced by the Asian American community in relation to health, healthcare access, immigration and language proficiency, to name a few.

These brave County residents have voiced their stories of struggle and strength, we hope you take the time to listen. To download a copy of the publication, please click here.

To view more photos, please visit our Facebook fan page.

AAHI Say's Goodbye to Fall Interns

2010-12-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Last week, AAHI bid a heartwarming farewell to fall interns, Kristina Yee, Shaiza Khalil and Karishma Dhru. They have successfully completed a semester-long internship at the Asian American Health Initiative. During their internship semester they worked side by side with AAHI on various projects, outreach events and other activities in support of AAHI's mission. They came to this internship bursting with enthusiasm and creative ideas.

At their farewell celebration, they presented their final projects- the GIS (Geographic Information System) Mapping project and the Photostory project. The interns demonstrated to AAHI staff how GIS mapping and PPGIS (Public Participation GIS) is useful in public health, not only for AAHI, but also for community and faith-based organizations. It was a very enlightening presentation, and the interns demonstrated high levels of knowledge in this difficult subject matter.

In addition to the GIS project, Shaiza, Karishma and Kristina worked on a photostory project this semester. This project is an extension of AAHI's soon to be released electronic publication, Voices among the Silent: Stories of Struggle and Strength from Asian Americans in Montgomery County, Maryland. The photostory is a visual depiction of one of the narratives in the publication; it is seen and heard through photographs and interviews. The interns planned, implemented and edited this project from start to finish.

All in all, we had a wonderful experience with the interns, we learned so much from them and we hope they gained invaluable experience working in a public health setting. As a farewell, Karishma, Kristina and Shaiza parted with words of advice for future AAHI interns:

Kristina Yee: "I've had such an invaluable experiencing interning with the Asian American Health Initiative. I've had the opportunity to both work side by side with passionate public health people, as well as work with very diverse communities. If I were to offer words of wisdom to future AAHI interns, it would be to keep an open mind, and really take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities you're offered. One of my favorite parts of interning, was learning from all the different speakers and people I got to meet along the way. The field of public health is so large, and in your experience you will meet tons of wonderful people... so don't be afraid to put yourself out there!"

Karishma Dhru: "Whatever task you are asked to do, do with integrity and genuine intentions of learning. Respecting your fellow peers is a trait that is valued and highly respected. Do your homework and network, network, network!"

Shaiza Khalil: "Take advantage of opportunity when it comes to you, seize the moment!"

Kristina, Karishma and Shaiza- we wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors!

December 1st: World AIDS Day

2010-12-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

December 1st is World AIDS Day. What do you know about HIV/AIDS in the Asian American population? Although the rates of HIV/AIDS is low among Asian Americans, according to the U.S Dept. of Health & Human Services Office of Minority Health, "Asian Americans are less likely to have been tested for HIV/AIDS. The total number of reported AIDS cases has generally declined over the past five years for the White population, however it has continued to increase for Asian Americans". To learn more about HIV/AIDS and Asian Americans, please visit the Office of Minority Health's Website.

To learn more about the basics of HIV/AIDS, please click here.

Diabetes Education Column in 'India This Week'

2010-11-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

AAHI in the news! November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and AAHI published an article in India This Week to educate readers about diabetes. Although today is the last day of November, it is important to stay vigilant about diabetes prevention year-round!
If you want to learn more about diabetes prevention, management or if you want tools to help educate others, visit the American Diabetes Associations website: http://www.diabetes.org/

Senior Research Program Coordinator

2010-11-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

Dear AAHI Community,

There is a hepatitis-B related job opportunity at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). JHU is seeking a Senior Research Program Coordinator. Please feel free to share with interested family and friends. You can find more information on JHU's Human Resources page by clicking here.