Public Health Heroes Awards Ceremony

Chinese Hospital, for providing culturally competent health services to the Chinese American community.

Rolland C. Lowe, M.D., physician in San Francisco’s Chinatown and former president of the California Medical Association, will present the award to Brenda Yee, R.N., M.S.N., CEO of Chinese Hospital.

Chinese Hospital—the only institution of its kind in the United States—has a long and rich history of providing access to culturally competent health care services for the Chinese American community. In the early part of the last century, residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown were isolated and had no access to services provided by city hospitals. The Tung Wah Dispensary had opened in Chinatown in 1900, but it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. By 1923, out of desperate need for health care services, 15 Chinatown organizations banded together to create the Chinese Hospital Association, a new nonprofit corporation. They raised funds to build a new facility, Chinese Hospital, which opened at 835 Jackson Street in October 1925. By the mid-1970s, the hospital had outgrown this facility, and a new building was constructed at 845 Jackson Street.

Today, the hospital maintains a licensed bed capacity of 54 beds. It provides emergency and intensive care services and a wide range of clinical and patient services. It also offers linguistically and culturally sensitive health education program and services to promote wellness and a healthier lifestyle, through the Chinese Community Health Resource Center—a private, nonprofit agency sponsored by Chinese Community Health Plan, Chinese Hospital, Chinese Community Health Care Association, and special grants programs.

Accepting the award on behalf of Chinese Hospital is chief executive officer Brenda Yee, R.N., M.S.N. Her executive role has been instrumental in showcasing Chinese Hospital as a financially sound organization, surviving as the last freestanding hospital in the entire city. Unlike the many other hospitals forced to merge or join large hospital corporations out of a need for survival, Chinese Hospital, under her leadership, has flourished.

AWARD PRESENTERRolland C. Lowe, M.D.

Rolland C. Lowe is a well-known, respected physician and community health advocate in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He was the first Asian American to serve as president of the California Medical Association (CMA), where he advocated for and helped create a voting section for ethnic physicians in the House of Delegates within the organization. As president of the CMA Foundation, he founded the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations. He has held many key positions at Chinese Hospital, including chief of staff and chairman of the board. Lowe was involved in forming the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a recognized national voice of the Asian Pacific Islander community on health issues.

THE CHALLENGEProviding Culturally Competent Care

Patients come to the clinical setting from different cultural backgrounds bringing different attitudes, values, traditions, and styles of communication. They respond differently to cues such as body language. In some populations, distrust of the medical profession, low perceptions of risk, linguistic issues, or embarrassment about specific procedures might pose barriers to communication between patient and physician. To provide quality care, health care providers must understand these differences and have knowledge of illnesses that have a higher incidence in a given population. Demographic trends show that the U.S. population is becoming more culturally diverse, especially the population in California. To ensure that future health professionals have the knowledge to design and deliver services to underrepresented populations, the public health workforce itself will need to become more diverse.

THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONDS

The School is actively responding to the need for cultural competence in health care through its teaching, research, and service.

The School’s Center for Multicultural Health collaborates with local health organizations to increase their ability to design, implement, and evaluate health disparity interventions that have a significant impact.
Working with community partners, the Center for Public Health Practice coordinates a linked, sequential pathway of initiatives to inspire students from underrepresented communities at the middle, high school, and college levels to pursue careers in public health.
For 13 years, the Center for Family and Community Health has been working with the Korean Community Advisory Board that advises the center on health priorities and health needs within the Korean American community. Members represent Korean businesses, health care providers, faith-based organizations, elders, young adults, and others.
Health Research for Action at UC Berkeley publishes The Wellness Guide, which has had demonstrable results in improving access to health care knowledge and resources, notably for Spanish-speaking users. A Chinese/English edition was recently released, developed in collaboration with an advisory board of community leaders and health care professionals.


2007 Organizational Hero - Chinese Hospital		Related Links Chinese Hospital Chinese Community Health Resource Center SF Chronicle article on Chinese Hospital
Chinese Hospital, for providing culturally competent health services to the Chinese American community. Rolland C. Lowe, M.D., physician in San Francisco’s Chinatown and former president of the California Medical Association, will present the award to Brenda Yee, R.N., M.S.N., CEO of Chinese Hospital. Chinese Hospital—the only institution of its kind in the United States—has a long and rich history of providing access to culturally competent health care services for the Chinese American community. In the early part of the last century, residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown were isolated and had no access to services provided by city hospitals. The Tung Wah Dispensary had opened in Chinatown in 1900, but it was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. By 1923, out of desperate need for health care services, 15 Chinatown organizations banded together to create the Chinese Hospital Association, a new nonprofit corporation. They raised funds to build a new facility, Chinese Hospital, which opened at 835 Jackson Street in October 1925. By the mid-1970s, the hospital had outgrown this facility, and a new building was constructed at 845 Jackson Street. Today, the hospital maintains a licensed bed capacity of 54 beds. It provides emergency and intensive care services and a wide range of clinical and patient services. It also offers linguistically and culturally sensitive health education program and services to promote wellness and a healthier lifestyle, through the Chinese Community Health Resource Center—a private, nonprofit agency sponsored by Chinese Community Health Plan, Chinese Hospital, Chinese Community Health Care Association, and special grants programs. Accepting the award on behalf of Chinese Hospital is chief executive officer Brenda Yee, R.N., M.S.N. Her executive role has been instrumental in showcasing Chinese Hospital as a financially sound organization, surviving as the last freestanding hospital in the entire city. Unlike the many other hospitals forced to merge or join large hospital corporations out of a need for survival, Chinese Hospital, under her leadership, has flourished. AWARD PRESENTERRolland C. Lowe, M.D. Rolland C. Lowe is a well-known, respected physician and community health advocate in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He was the first Asian American to serve as president of the California Medical Association (CMA), where he advocated for and helped create a voting section for ethnic physicians in the House of Delegates within the organization. As president of the CMA Foundation, he founded the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations. He has held many key positions at Chinese Hospital, including chief of staff and chairman of the board. Lowe was involved in forming the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a recognized national voice of the Asian Pacific Islander community on health issues. THE CHALLENGEProviding Culturally Competent Care Patients come to the clinical setting from different cultural backgrounds bringing different attitudes, values, traditions, and styles of communication. They respond differently to cues such as body language. In some populations, distrust of the medical profession, low perceptions of risk, linguistic issues, or embarrassment about specific procedures might pose barriers to communication between patient and physician. To provide quality care, health care providers must understand these differences and have knowledge of illnesses that have a higher incidence in a given population. Demographic trends show that the U.S. population is becoming more culturally diverse, especially the population in California. To ensure that future health professionals have the knowledge to design and deliver services to underrepresented populations, the public health workforce itself will need to become more diverse. THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONDS The School is actively responding to the need for cultural competence in health care through its teaching, research, and service. The School’s Center for Multicultural Health collaborates with local health organizations to increase their ability to design, implement, and evaluate health disparity interventions that have a significant impact. Working with community partners, the Center for Public Health Practice coordinates a linked, sequential pathway of initiatives to inspire students from underrepresented communities at the middle, high school, and college levels to pursue careers in public health. For 13 years, the Center for Family and Community Health has been working with the Korean Community Advisory Board that advises the center on health priorities and health needs within the Korean American community. Members represent Korean businesses, health care providers, faith-based organizations, elders, young adults, and others. Health Research for Action at UC Berkeley publishes The Wellness Guide, which has had demonstrable results in improving access to health care knowledge and resources, notably for Spanish-speaking users. A Chinese/English edition was recently released, developed in collaboration with an advisory board of community leaders and health care professionals.