Showing posts with label Partners: API Wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Partners: API Wellness. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Portola Neighborhood Festival - September 13, 2009
Have you ever been tested for Hep B? Hep B affects 1 in every 10 Asians. Please come to join us to celebrate the 7th Annual Portola Neighborhood Street Festival on San Bruno Avenue, from 10-4pm. California Pacific Medical Center along with API Wellness will be offering free Hepatits B Screening.
Monday, June 30, 2008
AsianWeek: "Pistahan Makes Hep B Known in Filipino Community"
Written by Peter J. Swing
SAN FRANCISCO - The Filipino American community will have a chance to not only celebrate their culture and heritage with dancing, food and live entertainment at the 15th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival on Aug. 9 and 10 in Yerba Buena Gardens - but they will also be able to receive hepatitis B screenings at the event’s Health Pavilion.
Though this is the second year in a row that the festival has organized a health exhibition area, this is the first time they will provide free hepatitis B screenings, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
“Hepatitis B is not that well known in the Filipino community,” said Al Perez, President of the Filipino American Arts Exposition, which organizes the annual Pistahan; he is also the creative director at AsianWeek. “This is a great opportunity to help educate our community on how to protect themselves from this deadly virus.”
California Pacific Medical Center will manage the testing site. S.F. Hep B Free Campaign and the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center will also be on hand to help promote awareness for the disease.
“The best way to reach a community is to participate and be involved firsthand in the community,” said Paula Lykins, community relations manager of California Pacific Medical Center. “The Pistahan provides a great opportunity to outreach to the Filipino community about hepatitis B, and we are committed to join efforts with our SF Hep B Free partners to help reach our goal of screening, testing and vaccinating all APIs in San Francisco.”
While CPMC, the API Wellness Foundation and the SF Hep B Free campaign are making their hepatitis B debut at the festival, Pistahan committee members believe that it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“Because we feel that the issue of hepatitis B is not properly addressed in the Filipino American community, especially to new immigrant arrivals, we are launching a program in October for Filipino Heritage month,” said Rudy Asercion, board member of the Pistahan and executive director of the West Bay Filipino Multiservice Center.
According to Asercion, the program will consist of a series of hepatitis B screening sites around the Bay Area working in tandem with SF Hep B Free Campaign.
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For more information about the Pistahan Parade and Festival visit: pistahan.net. For more about the S.F. Hep B Free campaign: sfhepbfree.org.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
SF Chronicle: "Killers Among Us"
San Francisco - help us make it hep B free now
Awareness campaigns for health issues and social causes are as numerous as tourists at Fisherman's Wharf, and it's hard not to feel awareness campaign fatigue. But one of them has special meaning to me as a California official, an Asian American and a person living with chronic Hepatitis B. May is Hepatitis B awareness month, shining the light on a condition that affects 2 million Americans.Chronic hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, a pathogen that is up to 100 times more easily transmitted than HIV. The disease is often called a "silent killer" because it can cause liver cancer, cirrhosis or liver failure without producing symptoms. This may be one reason the Bay Area has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation.
As many as 1 in 10 Asian/Pacific Islanders in America, particularly those from China, Korea and Vietnam, are chronically infected with HBV. This disproportionate impact reflects the high prevalence of the disease in Asia, where HBV immunization is not yet standard practice.
My own experience is typical: I contracted Hepatitis B at birth from my mother, who was born in China, but didn't discover this until I tried to give blood at the age of 22.
In a recent study conducted here in San Francisco, a shocking two-thirds of Asian Americans with chronic Hepatitis B were not aware they were infected. Clearly, we need to ramp up screening efforts in the city, and I am proud to support the "San Francisco Hep B Free" campaign in its unprecedented effort to screen and vaccinate all at risk. Routine screening and vaccination is a critical first step, but there is much more we can do to address HBV, including educating ourselves about this disease.
HBV was once thought only to affect people who had unprotected sex or shared needles. Today we know better - not least is the fact that the virus is often passed from mother to child at birth.
We can also encourage those who are infected to seek treatment. While there is no cure for chronic Hepatitis B, the number of available treatments has grown steadily in recent years. Today, convenient once-a-day medications can help to combat the disease, potentially preventing fatal liver damage. Finally, more should be done to ensure that all people who need treatment actually get it, because the direct and indirect financial burden of chronic Hepatitis in the United States reaches $1 billion annually.
In January 2008, the California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 158, legislation that is vital to increasing access to quality health care for Californians living with HBV. The bill is in the state Senate for approval and I urge its speedy ratification.
This month is an important opportunity to raise awareness of a deadly, but preventable disease. We can wipe out this disease as long as people know to get vaccinated and we treat those already infected. However, it will take more than an awareness month to stop the devastating impact of chronic Hepatitis B. Until viral hepatitis is broadly recognized as a serious public health concern, it will continue to threaten the health of Americans in San Francisco and across the United States.
Free hepatitis B virus screening
One day only
Where: Asian Heritage Street Celebration (Post St. from Laguna to Webster), San Francisco
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 17
Regularly scheduled free screening
Where: Asian Pacific Wellness Center, 730 Polk St., 4th floor. Call (415) 292-3400 for appointment.
When: No fee on Wednesdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., or on the first Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, 2330 Post St, 1st floor. (415) 885-3580.
When: No fee on the first Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. to noon.
Regularly scheduled sliding-scale fee
Where: Chinese Hospital, 845 Jackson St., 1st floor, laboratory. (415) 677-2303.
When: Monday through Saturday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about San Francisco's efforts, please visit www.sfhepbfree.org and get tested today.
Fiona Ma, a Democrat, represents San Francisco in the state Assembly and is the Assembly majority whip. E-mail comments to forum@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page B - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/EDCI10L2TK.DTL#ixzz0Vq1rFPMm
Friday, May 18, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
PRNewswire-USNewswire: "Largest Healthcare Campaign for Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S."
San Francisco Hep B Free - B Sure, B Tested, B Free
First City in the U.S. to Test & Vaccinate All Asian and Pacific Islanders for Hepatitis B
Mayor Gavin Newsom, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and Supervisor Ed Jew will lead representatives from over 50 healthcare and Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations to launch the first San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign on Wednesday,
April 25th at New Asia Restaurant at 772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA.
This major collaborative effort brings together city government, private healthcare and non-profit community organizations in a 2-year-long campaign to screen, vaccinate, and treat all API residents for hepatitis B (HBV).
The SF Hep B Free campaign will put San Francisco at the forefront of America in fighting chronic hepatitis. This campaign is also the largest healthcare campaign to target Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.
San Francisco's API residents comprise 34% of the city's population and bear a disproportionate burden of liver cancer and undetected HBV infection. Hepatitis B is a serious disease responsible for 80% of all liver cancers among APIs. San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people in the API community have an undiagnosed infection. APIs are up to 100 times more likely to suffer from chronic HBV infection and 4 times more likely to die from liver cancer compared with the general population.
"Hepatitis B virus is a highly infectious disease that is affecting the health of our vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander community," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "Fortunately, a vaccine exists that is safe and effective. San Francisco is committed to preventing the spread of this virus. Please join our efforts in making San Francisco a hepatitis B free city."
In November 2006, Mayor Newsom signed a resolution authored by then Supervisor Fiona Ma establishing the goal of universal HBV screening and vaccination for API residents. The SF Hep B Free Steering Committee was also formed, comprised of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University, and AsianWeek Foundation. Assemblywoman Ma serves as honorary chairperson. "I am proud to help lead this campaign because it focuses on prevention and awareness," said Assemblywoman Ma, an HBV carrier herself. "These are key factors for preventing the spread of hepatitis B in the Asian and Pacific Islander community."
"This is a big problem for Asians and Asian Americans," said Dr. Samuel So, Director of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. "Most Asian Americans are recent immigrants and their doctors have never tested them.
The SF Hep B Free campaign will spread its message of B Sure, B Tested, B Free with media outreach including Asian television, print, and radio as well as mainstream media outlets. Members of the SF Hospital Council and the SF Community Clinic Coalition, the Asian Liver Center, API Wellness Center and others will provide accessible and free or low-cost screenings and vaccinations via physician offices, health clinics, and street fairs.
First City in the U.S. to Test & Vaccinate All Asian and Pacific Islanders for Hepatitis B
Mayor Gavin Newsom, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and Supervisor Ed Jew will lead representatives from over 50 healthcare and Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations to launch the first San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign on Wednesday,
April 25th at New Asia Restaurant at 772 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA.
This major collaborative effort brings together city government, private healthcare and non-profit community organizations in a 2-year-long campaign to screen, vaccinate, and treat all API residents for hepatitis B (HBV).
The SF Hep B Free campaign will put San Francisco at the forefront of America in fighting chronic hepatitis. This campaign is also the largest healthcare campaign to target Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.
San Francisco's API residents comprise 34% of the city's population and bear a disproportionate burden of liver cancer and undetected HBV infection. Hepatitis B is a serious disease responsible for 80% of all liver cancers among APIs. San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people in the API community have an undiagnosed infection. APIs are up to 100 times more likely to suffer from chronic HBV infection and 4 times more likely to die from liver cancer compared with the general population.
"Hepatitis B virus is a highly infectious disease that is affecting the health of our vibrant Asian and Pacific Islander community," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "Fortunately, a vaccine exists that is safe and effective. San Francisco is committed to preventing the spread of this virus. Please join our efforts in making San Francisco a hepatitis B free city."
In November 2006, Mayor Newsom signed a resolution authored by then Supervisor Fiona Ma establishing the goal of universal HBV screening and vaccination for API residents. The SF Hep B Free Steering Committee was also formed, comprised of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University, and AsianWeek Foundation. Assemblywoman Ma serves as honorary chairperson. "I am proud to help lead this campaign because it focuses on prevention and awareness," said Assemblywoman Ma, an HBV carrier herself. "These are key factors for preventing the spread of hepatitis B in the Asian and Pacific Islander community."
"This is a big problem for Asians and Asian Americans," said Dr. Samuel So, Director of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. "Most Asian Americans are recent immigrants and their doctors have never tested them.
The SF Hep B Free campaign will spread its message of B Sure, B Tested, B Free with media outreach including Asian television, print, and radio as well as mainstream media outlets. Members of the SF Hospital Council and the SF Community Clinic Coalition, the Asian Liver Center, API Wellness Center and others will provide accessible and free or low-cost screenings and vaccinations via physician offices, health clinics, and street fairs.
Friday, May 5, 2006
Niwa Public Relations: "San Francisco's Asian Health Organizations Unite To Promote Awareness of Hepatitis B for Bay Area's Asian Pacific Islander American Community During National Hepatitis B Awareness Month"
For more information, contact:
Grace Niwa, Niwa Public Relations
(508) 238-6547
grace@niwapr.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Photos available upon request
SAN FRANCISCO’S ASIAN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS UNITE
TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF HEPATITIS B FOR
BAY AREA’S ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN COMMUNITY
DURING NATIONAL HEPATITIS B AWARENESS MONTH
Free Hepatitis B Screenings will be provided by the Asian Liver Center
at Stanford University at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration on
Saturday, May 20th, 2006
2151 Irving Street, Suite 205 from 11 am to 4pm
Sunset District of San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA (May 5, 2006) –San Francisco’s Asian Health organizations came together to promote awareness of the prevalence of hepatitis B and the need for testing in San Francisco’s Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) community during National Hepatitis B Awareness Month and Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May. Assemblymember Mark Leno; Fiona Ma, San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Health, City and County of San Francisco; Dr. Ho Luong Tran, President and CEO, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum; Dr. Samuel So, Director, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University and James Fang, Co-Chair, Asian Heritage Street Celebration supported the effort at a press conference at City Hall today. Fiona Ma presented a Proclamation to Dr. Samuel So on behalf of Mayor Gavin Newsom to declare the week of May 14-20 as “Hepatitis B Awareness Week in San Francisco.”
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University announced they would provide free hepatitis B screenings for San Francisco’s APIA community during the Asian Heritage Street Celebration on Saturday, May 20th at 2151 Irving Street, Suite 205 from 11 am to 4pm located in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Partners in this united effort include San Francisco’s Department of Public Health, the Chinese Hospital, the API Wellness Center, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations and the APIA Health Forum.
Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world caused by the hepatitis B virus that attacks the liver and can cause liver cancer. It is more common among APIA’s than other racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. According to the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University, an estimated 1 in 10 foreign born APIAs is chronically infected with hepatitis B, compared to 1 in 1000 Caucasian Americans. Many are not aware they have been infected, since there are usually no symptoms. Without appropriate monitoring or treatment, 1 in 4 of these chronically infected individuals will die from liver cancer or liver failure. Liver cancer, largely caused by hepatitis B, is the second leading cause of cancer death for APIA men living in the U.S.
“San Francisco is one of the major U.S. cities where chronic hepatitis B is a serious health problem due to our large Asian Pacific Islander American population,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “The free hepatitis B screenings that the Asian Liver Center will be conducting at this year’s Asian Heritage Street Celebration are a great way to educate and raise awareness about this major health threat to our community.”
“There are an estimated 25,000 APIAs living in the city of San Francisco with chronic hepatitis B, and an additional 100,000 who are unprotected,” said Dr. Samuel So, Director, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. “There’s a real need for increased hepatitis B testing and vaccination in the APIA community. More than half of the deaths from hepatitis B are from our community, yet the seriousness of this disease is underappreciated, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. We are grateful for the support of our community partners for promoting awareness and prevention of this silent epidemic.”
“We are very pleased to see San Francisco’s Asian Health organizations unite for this important cause,” said James Fang, Co-Chair, Asian Heritage Street Celebration. “We are encouraging all Asian Americans and their family members to get screened at this year’s festival.”
About The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is the only non-profit organization in the United States that addresses the high incidence of hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians andAsian Americans. Founded in 1996, the ALC has grown to become a national and international leader in fighting this global epidemic through outreach, education, and research. For more information, visit http://liver.stanford.edu.
About the Asian Heritage Street Celebration
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation, in cooperation with the Mayor’s APA Heritage Committee and over 51 organizations in the Asian American community. The AsianWeek Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 committed to developing the Voices of Asian America. All proceeds from the Celebration will be donated to local and national charities. For more information, visit www.asianfairsf.com.
Grace Niwa, Niwa Public Relations
(508) 238-6547
grace@niwapr.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Photos available upon request
SAN FRANCISCO’S ASIAN HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS UNITE
TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF HEPATITIS B FOR
BAY AREA’S ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICAN COMMUNITY
DURING NATIONAL HEPATITIS B AWARENESS MONTH
Free Hepatitis B Screenings will be provided by the Asian Liver Center
at Stanford University at the Asian Heritage Street Celebration on
Saturday, May 20th, 2006
2151 Irving Street, Suite 205 from 11 am to 4pm
Sunset District of San Francisco, CA
San Francisco, CA (May 5, 2006) –San Francisco’s Asian Health organizations came together to promote awareness of the prevalence of hepatitis B and the need for testing in San Francisco’s Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) community during National Hepatitis B Awareness Month and Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May. Assemblymember Mark Leno; Fiona Ma, San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of Health, City and County of San Francisco; Dr. Ho Luong Tran, President and CEO, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum; Dr. Samuel So, Director, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University and James Fang, Co-Chair, Asian Heritage Street Celebration supported the effort at a press conference at City Hall today. Fiona Ma presented a Proclamation to Dr. Samuel So on behalf of Mayor Gavin Newsom to declare the week of May 14-20 as “Hepatitis B Awareness Week in San Francisco.”
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University announced they would provide free hepatitis B screenings for San Francisco’s APIA community during the Asian Heritage Street Celebration on Saturday, May 20th at 2151 Irving Street, Suite 205 from 11 am to 4pm located in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Partners in this united effort include San Francisco’s Department of Public Health, the Chinese Hospital, the API Wellness Center, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations and the APIA Health Forum.
Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world caused by the hepatitis B virus that attacks the liver and can cause liver cancer. It is more common among APIA’s than other racial or ethnic groups in the U.S. According to the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University, an estimated 1 in 10 foreign born APIAs is chronically infected with hepatitis B, compared to 1 in 1000 Caucasian Americans. Many are not aware they have been infected, since there are usually no symptoms. Without appropriate monitoring or treatment, 1 in 4 of these chronically infected individuals will die from liver cancer or liver failure. Liver cancer, largely caused by hepatitis B, is the second leading cause of cancer death for APIA men living in the U.S.
“San Francisco is one of the major U.S. cities where chronic hepatitis B is a serious health problem due to our large Asian Pacific Islander American population,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom. “The free hepatitis B screenings that the Asian Liver Center will be conducting at this year’s Asian Heritage Street Celebration are a great way to educate and raise awareness about this major health threat to our community.”
“There are an estimated 25,000 APIAs living in the city of San Francisco with chronic hepatitis B, and an additional 100,000 who are unprotected,” said Dr. Samuel So, Director, Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. “There’s a real need for increased hepatitis B testing and vaccination in the APIA community. More than half of the deaths from hepatitis B are from our community, yet the seriousness of this disease is underappreciated, underdiagnosed, and undertreated. We are grateful for the support of our community partners for promoting awareness and prevention of this silent epidemic.”
“We are very pleased to see San Francisco’s Asian Health organizations unite for this important cause,” said James Fang, Co-Chair, Asian Heritage Street Celebration. “We are encouraging all Asian Americans and their family members to get screened at this year’s festival.”
About The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University
The Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is the only non-profit organization in the United States that addresses the high incidence of hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians andAsian Americans. Founded in 1996, the ALC has grown to become a national and international leader in fighting this global epidemic through outreach, education, and research. For more information, visit http://liver.stanford.edu.
About the Asian Heritage Street Celebration
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation, in cooperation with the Mayor’s APA Heritage Committee and over 51 organizations in the Asian American community. The AsianWeek Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 committed to developing the Voices of Asian America. All proceeds from the Celebration will be donated to local and national charities. For more information, visit www.asianfairsf.com.
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