Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Happy Holidays from AAHI!

This holiday season, AAHI is looking back with appreciation for all the opportunities given to us. It has been an exciting year of health education and outreach in the community. Thank you to our wonderful Steering Committee, community partners, Health Promoters, and staff for another successful year! We would not be where we are today without you. AAHI wishes everyone a safe, warm, and happy holiday season. We look forward to moving into the new year with each and every one of you!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Free English Classes for Adults


The Literacy Council of Montgomery County will be offering free English classes for adults with limited English proficiency. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes will be available at select centers.

Please see the flyers below for the winter 2015 schedule and for more information.




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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 12/18/14

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Important Affordable Care Act Deadline Tomorrow!

There is only one day left! You MUST enroll or renew your plan by tomorrow, December 18th at 11:59 pm, for coverage and financial assistance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for January 1, 2015 onward. If you enrolled through Maryland Health Connection in 2014 and do not reapply by tomorrow night, any financial help you received this year will end on December 31, 2014 and your January bill may be higher.

Open enrollment under the ACA will be available until February 15, 2015. Click on the images below to check out the Asian language flyers for important ACA information and sign-up locations where you can receive in-person enrollment assistance from a health navigator. The locations listed are for the Capital Region, which includes Montgomery County and Prince George's County.

Please visit www.capitalhealthconnection.org to learn more about the ACA, see the calendar of enrollment events, and access other helpful resources for the Capital Region.

Chinese

Korean

Vietnamese

English

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 12/17/14

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

AAHI in the News: Mammograms

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast and helps look for early signs of breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular mammograms are the best screening tools doctors have to find breast cancer early - sometimes up to three years before it can be felt.

As part of AAHI's cultural media campaign and to promote the importance of getting screened regularly, we partnered with several local Asian newspapers to publish in-language articles about mammograms. Please click on the thumbnails below to read a full-sized version of the published articles!

              Epoch Times                                                    India This Week
                   
Tre Magazine
  



Monday, December 8, 2014

American Indian Heritage Pow-Wow & Health Fair 2014

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2014
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Holy Cross Hospital, 1500 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910
Cost: Free, but registration is required. To register, please call 301-754-8800.

Holy Cross Health and the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs will host the American Indian Heritage Pow-Wow & Health Fair 2014 this upcoming weekend. The event will include a variety of cultural activities, health education lectures, health screenings, and more!


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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 12/8/14

Friday, December 5, 2014

Welcome to AAHI, Michelle!


We would like to introduce our newest staff to the AAHI family, Michelle Pineda! Michelle is the Behavioral Health Program Coordinator and is responsible for informing the community about behavioral health and available resources. She also assesses the behavioral health needs of the Asian American community, while understanding the barriers to seeking mental health services. Michelle has a strong interest in social work and focus on the unique stressors faced by the Asian American population. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Fun fact: Michelle is a die-hard ice hockey fan! She loves watching and cheering on the Washington Capitals.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

AAHI's November 2014 Newsletter

The November 2014 issue of AAHI's newsletter is now available online! Please click the image below to read a full-size version of the newsletter. If you would like to receive our newsletters via email, please subscribe to our mailing list.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The Affordable Care Act & HealthConnect Now!

Date: Saturday, December 6, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (Silver Spring) and 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (Fort Washington)
Location: Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and Southern Reg Tech & Rec Complex, 7007 Bock Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744
Cost: Free, but registration is encouraged. To register, please visit http://goo.gl/w12wgO or call 855-642-8572.

Open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act is a 90-day period, which re-opened on November 15, 2014. If you enrolled last year through Maryland Health Connection, you must re-enroll by December 18, 2014 to continue coverage with financial assistance for January 2015 onward. If you do not enroll by December 18th, your current coverage will continue but with no financial assistance.

The Capital Region Health Connector will host two HealthConnect Now! enrollment events in Montgomery County and Prince George's County. You will have the opportunity to receive in-person enrollment assistance to shop, select, and enroll in health coverage that fits your needs and budget. The enrollment fairs are free and open to all!

Please visit www.capitalhealthconnection.org to see a list of sign-up locations, required documents, calendar of enrollment events, and other helpful resources for the Capital Region.

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 12/2/14

Monday, November 24, 2014

VNMAP Health Fair

Date: Sunday, December 7, 2014
Time: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building, 1st Floor, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850
Cost: Free

Learn more about breast cancer and early detection with the Viet Nam Medical Assistance Program (VNMAP) at their health fair! Breast cancer accounts for 40,000 deaths each year and is the second leading cause of cancer death for women after lung cancer. Blood pressure and glucose checks, as well as the opportunity to talk to a physician, will also be available at the event. For more information, please call 571-354-0880.


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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 11/24/14.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Recap: Weekend Outreach Events

On November 15th, AAHI attended the Shri Mangal Mandir Annual Health Fair. The event provided consultation from physicians and screenings on blood pressure, vision, hearing, bone density, nutrition, diabetes, skin diseases, and other health topics. Low-cost flu vaccines were also available for community members. AAHI's Resource Information Table offered bone density screenings, as well as information on general health and local resources.


The next day, we joined the Migrant Heritage Commission, in partnership with the Filipino American Ministry of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, for their Annual Health Fair. There were a variety of health services available including flu shots, glucose tests, and other health screenings. AAHI provided bone density screenings and information on local resources using the Wheel of Health Education.


A big thank you to Shri Mangal Mandir and the Migrant Heritage Commission for inviting us to your health fairs!

Monday, November 10, 2014

Food, Medicine, and the Quest to Conquer Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes


Date: Thursday, November 13, 2014
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Suburban Hospital Auditorium, 8600 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814
Cost: Free, but registration is required. To register, please visit www.events.suburbanhospital.org or call 301-896-3939.

Are you looking for a meaningful change in your health? Join Sibley and Suburban Hospitals for an educational evening in honor of National Diabetes Month. Culinary medicine is an evolving field that incorporates the art of cooking with science to improve health and well-being. Board-certified general internist Daphne Keshishian, MD, will discuss applying the principles of culinary medicine to the management and prevention of diabetes. Discover a world that lies somewhere between your doctor’s office, the pharmacy, and your kitchen!

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 11/10/14.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Recap: E.C.H.O Workshop #8 - Mental Health in Our Communities II

On November 4th, AAHI, in partnership with the African American Health Program and the Latino Health Initiative, hosted our "Mental Health in Our Communities II" Workshop. This was the eighth installment in our Empowering Community Health Organizations (E.C.H.O.) Project, which provides practical and professional training workshops designed to build the capacity and sustainability of community organizations.


The workshop was led by two speakers. The first speaker was the Senior Program Director at the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County, who gave a presentation on mental health, its connection to the mind and body, as well as tools to help overcome cultural barriers and challenges. In addition, the Manager of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Access to Behavioral Health provided a brief overview of support services and resources in Montgomery County.


After the presentation, there was a small group exercise that gave attendees the opportunity to discuss mental health within the context of a specific community. The night concluded with a brief question and answer session.


Over 100 attendees, representing about 50 organizations from the community, attended our workshop! Thank you to our speakers, small group moderators, attendees, Steering Committee, Health Promoters, volunteers, and staff for making this yet another successful workshop. We look forward to seeing you again for our spring 2015 E.C.H.O. workshop!

Please click here to read the workshop summary (7.1 MB), which includes contact information for local mental health resources and electronic versions of the handouts provided at the workshop.

Click on the image below to see more pictures from the night!
11-04-14 ECHO #8

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Getting Ready for Baby


Date: Sunday, November 9, 2014
Time: 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location:  Holy Cross Hospital, Professional and Community Education Center, 1500 Forest Glen Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Cost: Free, but registration is required. To register, please visit http://goo.gl/0Gn5XR.

Join Holy Cross Hospital for a free baby fair! Meet Holy Cross nurses, childbirth educators, lactation specialists, as well as many community vendors. You will have the opportunity to attend informational lectures on birth and babies, in addition to learning about Holy Cross maternal child services. There will be several giveaways and raffle prizes!

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 11/6/14.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Recap: What was AAHI Up to Last Weekend?

AAHI had the opportunity to attend 3 great outreach events this past weekend!

On October 25th, AAHI joined the Chinese American Senior Services Association (CASSA) for their Health Check-Up #17 in Germantown. CASSA hosts this event twice a year, which offers a variety of services, such as blood tests, blood pressure screenings, and physician consultations. We provided bone density screenings for several community members.

On October 26th, we attended the Sri Lankan Kathina Celebration at the International Buddhist Center in Wheaton. Our Health Promoters provided general health information and community referrals at our Resource Information Table.


Later that afternoon, AAHI participated in the Muslim Community Center (MCC) Medical Clinic Community Health Fair. The event featured information about domestic violence, breast health exams, eye exams, dental exams, blood pressure, and Medicaid. Flu shots were also available to community members. At our Resource Information Table, our Wheel of Health Education highlighted information on osteoporosis. For more photos from this event, please click here.


Thank you to CASSA, the International Buddhist Center, and MCC for having AAHI at your community events. We look forward to working with your organizations in the near future!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Free Fathers Parenting Workshops

Dates: Tuesday, October 28, November 4, November 11, November 18, November 25, 2014
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850
Cost: Free

Join the Fathers and Children Together Program for a workshop series designed for fathers to gain an understanding of their own parenting experiences. Fathers will be able to identify ways in which they can improve and positively influence their relationship with their children. This workshop is provided in a five-week series with sessions held once a week for 1.5 hours. The workshop series takes place 5 times each year. Registration is not required. For other workshop dates or for more information, please call Edward Powell at 240-777-4006.

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 10/22/14.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Free Flu Shots Available!

Date: Sunday, October 26, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: 13800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Cost: Free

The Cambodian Buddhist Society will provide free flu shots for the community! For more information, please call 301-622-6544. This event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and Adventist HealthCare.

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Disclaimer: Please note the information provided above may be subject to change. Contact the respective organizations to ensure the most current information. Updated on 10/20/14.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Recap: Weekend Health Fairs

AAHI had a great time attending many outreach events this past weekend!

On October 10th, we joined the DB Consulting Group & Lux Consulting Group for their 8th Annual Health and Wellness Fair in Silver Spring, which focused on bringing men, women, and children together to promote health and well-being. This free event hosted over 60 health organizations and provided health screenings, wellness and safety information, and fitness activities for the community. Some screening services included cholesterol check, carbon monoxide screening, HIV rapid testing, and dental screening. AAHI staff provided general health information at our Resource Information Table. Our Wheel of Health Education featured information on local resources.


10-10-14 DB Consulting Group/Lux Consulting Group 8th Annual Health & Wellness Fair

AAHI also attended the Indian American Medical Association (IAMA) and Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF) 4th Annual Health Fair in Rockville on October 11th! Community members had an opportunity to receive free health advice and counseling from lead physicians on cancer, diabetes, thyroid, women's health, heart disease, eye health, as well as many other health topics. Screening services and flu vaccines were also available. Our Health Promoters and staff provided bone density screenings and information on AAHI's target diseases and local resources.



10-11-14 IAMA & GGSF 4th Annual Health Fair

On October 12th, the Cambodian Buddhist Society hosted their Kathina Celebration, or Robe-Offering Ceremony, in Silver Spring. On this day, community members participated in different cultural and religious activities as part of the celebration. At AAHI's Resource Information Table, staff provided general health information, with the Wheel of Health Education featuring information on hepatitis B.


10-12-14 Cambodian Buddhist Society Kathina Celebration

Please click on the thumbnails to view more pictures from each event.

AAHI thanks all of our wonderful community partners, Health Promoters, and staff for an awesome weekend of outreach!