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The Asian American Health Coalition is a 501(c) 3 volunteer organization dedicated to improving access to care for all Asian groups in Houston. Established in 1994, the Coalition has actively promoted health access, knowledge and disease prevention activities and programs in the Greater Houston area. In 2002, in recognition of the significantly unmet medical needs of the residents of Southwest Houston, we established the HOPE clinic to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate primary health care services to all, but especially to underserved Asians with limited English proficiency. It is our goal for the HOPE clinic to become a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
KATRINA RELIEF EFFORTS
The Asian American Health Coalition through the HOPE clinic
was pleased to have been a part of the Katrina Relief Efforts. Starting on
Friday, September 2nd, 2005, we partnered with Boat People SOS at their Hong Kong City
Mall office (11205 Bellaire Blvd, Rm B22) to provide medical services to
predominantly Asian Katrina evacuees, although services were available to all
who came. Hundreds of Asian evacuees had congregated at the Mall seeking refuge,
familiar Asian food, and social services from individuals who could speak
Vietnamese and Chinese. Over that first weekend (Friday to Sunday), we served
about 130 people. Our clinic administrator, Karen Tso, sent out an email to all
HOPE clinic volunteers to solicit their help. Most of the patients seen had
diagnoses of diabetes, hypertension, and needed follow ups or refills on their
medications. Several pregnant ladies received prenatal check ups as well.
Emergency medical technicians had to be called when one individual exhibited
extremely high blood pressure, and again when a young child was suspected of
sepsis.
We want to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Catherine
Tsai (former HOPE Clinic Medical Director), Dr. Peter Kwan, Dr. Vu, Olga Rivera (HOPE
Clinic Nurse Manager), HOPE clinic volunteers (Derrick, Albert, David from
Baylor College of Medicine), Maria Chang, RD (and friend), Agnes Nguyen (HOPE
clinic staff), and many other volunteers (Son, Albert, Steve, Tina, Andi, sorry
if we forgot some) for helping out.
We continued to provide medical services at the Boat
People SOS office 6 days a week with medical staff from the Kaiser Permanente
and Scripps Health Organizations provided through the Medical Reserve Corps
while continuing to operate the HOPE clinic at its original site at the Chinese
Community Center (CCC), 9800 Town Park until the end of October. The Boat People
SOS staff and volunteers provided the interpreters while the HOPE clinic staff
assisted with case management and medical supplies. Approximately 200 people
were seen each day. This was a very successful collaboration and partnership.
Currently, the HOPE clinic is located at 7001 Corporate, Suite 120 (entrance at back of building), Houston, TX 77036. It is open four days a week: Mondays and Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm
and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 pm to 8 pm.
NOTE: If you would like to support the efforts of the
Asian American Health Coalition in providing medical services to the medically
underserved population in Houston, including the Katrina evacuees, donations can
be made to the AAHC, a 501(c)(3) organization, c/o HOPE Clinic, 7001 Corporate, Suite 120, Houston, TX 77036.
If you would like to volunteer your services, please
contact the HOPE clinic at (713) 773-0803.
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