Houston, TX-Asian American Health Coalition of Greater Houston (AAHC dba Hope Clinic) announced today that it is one of eight community organizations from around the country selected to receive community grants totaling $4.8 million, part of an unprecedented $16.5 million national community investment partnership called "Health Through Action for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders."
Launched in 2006, Health Through Action is a groundbreaking partnership between Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The initiative marks the first time a private sector foundation has joined forces with a national Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) organization to tackle health disparities in the AA & NHPI communities.
"By supporting organizations that are on the ground and on the front lines of this fight, we are taking a major step toward eliminating the health disparities that exist in our vulnerable communities," said Dr. Ho Tran, President and CEO of APIAHF. "We thank the W.H. Kellogg Foundation for partnering with us and congratulate the Asian American Health Coalition of Greater Houston to do this vital work."
Through the initiative, AAHC will serve as the lead organization of the Houston Asian American Health Collaborative (HAAHC) and receive $600,000 for a four year term to address urgent health and health care issues facing AA & NHPIs in Harris County. Member partners of the HAAHC are: Asian American Family Services, Asian Cancer Council, Chinese Community Center, Light and Salt Association, VN Teamwork and the Sam Houston State University Sociology Department.
"We are thrilled to receive this tremendous support from APIAHF and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation," said Rogene Gee Calvert, chair of AAHC board of directors. "The generous funding from this groundbreaking initiative bolsters our capacity to serve the needs of our AA & NHPI communities. In a recent study conducted by the Center for Research on Minority Health of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, it was found that 30% of Vietnamese and 20% of Chinese interviewed were without health insurance. This coupled with the large percentage of Limited English Proficient individuals provides a major barrier to our community in assessing needed health care." Since 1990, Houston has emerged among the top ten U.S. cities with the highest and most diverse AA & NHPI population. Harris County, for example, is home to almost one quarter million AA & NHPI 's. Most AA & NHPI population resides in southwest Harris County, adjacent to Ft. Bend County in which one in four residents in its largest city Sugar Land is AA & NHPI.
The vision of the HAAHC is "a proactive AA & NHPI community engaged in coordinated policy and advocacy initiatives to ensure our overall health and well-being. Goals are: 1) to build capacity to empower member organizations and the AA & NHPI community to proactively address health disparities and positively impact policy and system changes; 2) help reduce health disparities related to cancer, and 3) affect policy and system changes locally and at a broader level. Member partners will use their grant funding to raise public awareness, push for policy changes, and mobilize the community. They will also work to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate cancer awareness, screening and intervention programs.
Health Through Action focuses on five major areas:
* Strengthening the capacity of local communities to conduct effective health programming and advocacy.
* Developing and advancing a national AA & NHPI health agenda.
* Supporting strategies that spur increased data collection and
research on AA & NHPI health.
* Supporting the development and implementation of a Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander health agenda
* Building a national network of AA & NHPI communities aimed at
achieving optimal health and well-being.
Estimated at nearly 15 million, the AA & NHPI community is the second fastest growing population in the U.S. However, the community's health needs remain underserved, with little existing research and data to accurately measure its social/economic and health status. The research that does exist shows alarming disparity:
* Current Population Survey data from 2005 to 2007 reveal that Asian Americans (16%) and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (22%) are more likely to be uninsured than Whites (11%).
* AA & NHPIs have one of the lowest cancer screening rates in the
nation but have disproportionately higher rates in lung, breast , liver and cervical cancers.
* Nationally, 10% of AA & NHPIs are infected with Hepatitis B compared to 0.1% for whites. Hepatitis B infection is a primary cause for liver cancer.
* Cultural and language barriers routinely prevent AA & NHPIs from accessing prevention, education and treatment services.
After announcing the grants, Health Through Action received Letters of Intent from more than 130 organizations from around the country, of which 30 were invited to submit full proposals. AAHC was selected in part due to its abilities and commitment to form collaborations and work with diverse pan-ethnic communities and organizations.
"With this grant opportunity, we will be able to raise the public's awareness to the health disparities and challenges faced by Houston's Asian American community. Our action will encourage collaborations with local and state health institutions, legislative and policy makers to develop equitable initiatives and resources to improve Asian American health," pledged Ms. Calvert.
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About APIAHF:
Established in 1986, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is a national health policy and advocacy organization whose mission is to enable Asian American and Pacific Islanders to attain the highest possible level of health and well-being. For more information, please visit www.apiahf.org.
About AAHC dba HopeClinic:
Established in 1994 as a membership advocacy and educational coalition, AAHC started Hope Clinic in 2002 opening four hours per month and staffed by volunteer physicians and other health professionals. It has since grown to 11 full-time staff, opening 32 hours per week and is applying for Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status. For more information, please visit www.asianhealthhouston.org or call 713-779-0825.
About Asian Family Services:
As the only nonprofit community based mental health agency for Asians in Houston, the mission is to enhance the mental health and social well-being of Asian Americans in greater Houston. Programs range from clinical and mental health services to family support services to youth prevention and intervention programs to senior support groups. Substance abuse prevention and education and training activities are also provided. For more information, visit www.aafstexas.org call 713-339-3688.
About Asian Cancer Council:
The mission is to educate Asian Americans on various types of cancer and available treatment options; promote health awareness through early detection and prevention, and to provide culturally appropriate support for Asian cancer patients, survivors, and their family members. This is accomplished through participating organizations, numbering over 15 diverse Asian serving groups. For more information, call 832-868-2323.
About Chinese Community Center:
Established in 1979 as a Chinese language school, the Chinese Community Center today serves over 5,000 families each year through educational, cultural and social service programs. Their programs focus on young children, school-age children, adults and seniors. The facility opens its doors to the community for meetings, gymnasium, library and enrichment classes. For more information, please visit www.ccchouston.org or call 713-261-6100.
About Light and Salt Association:
Founded in 1997 as a nonprofit, faith-based organization to empower cancer patients and their loved ones with information, support, and resources. In 2001, the Light and Salt Cancer Support Network was established providing culturally-appropriate support to ease Chinese cancer patients and their families into discussing their thoughts and problems. For more information, call 713-988-4724.
About VN Teamwork:
Established in 1996 to enhance the health, education, and social well-being of low-income and underserved people in the greater Houston area. Some of the many programs provided include health screening and education, legal counseling, volunteer income tax assistance (VITA), voter education and registration and training programs in computer, CPR and first aid and ESL.
For more information, please visit www.vnteamwork.org or call 281-495-8936.
About Sam Houston State University Sociology Dept.:
Founded in 1879, the SHSU has five colleges, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Education and Humanities and Social Sciences. Enrollment is approximately 15,900. The Department of Sociology has 11 fulltime faculty members, of which four are engaged in research areas related to illness and health care. The undergraduate program specializes in 3 areas: change, economy and society; culture and social institutions, and inequality and society. The graduate program focuses on building and strengthening students' applied research in grant writing, program evaluation, impact assessment and community-based research. For more information, call 281-799-7574
Alex Wang
