AAPI Diabetes Conference: A Call to Action

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Indian American Mom

What’s poorly funded, the leading cause of blindness, and costs the U.S. 1 out of every 5 healthcare dollars and 1 out of 3 Medicare dollars?

What disease occurs in higher rates in Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans than in the general American population?

Can you guess?

You have a hint right in the title…

Diabetes.

Not only do AAPIs have higher risks for developing Type 2 diabetes than the general population, but they also respond differently to diabetes and treatment.

I learned all this at a fascinating conference, the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Diabetes Coalition Conference, organized by that group, the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians, and the Joslin Diabetes Center last Friday.

You can find my live tweets from the conference on Twitter under the hashtag #AAPIDiabetes.

Here are 5 reasons why the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Diabetes Coalition Conference was such an eye-opener:

1. DATA IS SPARSE BUT CRUCIAL
This was the most shocking thing I learned.

The medical community lacks data on AAPI populations, even though data is crucial. The AAPI community has disproportionately high rates of diabetes.

Not only that, but our diagnostic considerations and complications are different than Caucasian patients.

Currently the CDC is doing a study of the AAPI population, but that data won’t be out for another two years.

There is practically no data on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations, even though they have asked to be studied for years. It may be even more important for them because 8 of the worlds top 10 obese nations are the Pacific Islands nations. As you may know, obesity is linked to Type 2 diabetes.

2. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF DIABETES IN AAPIS ARE DIFFERENT THAN CAUCASIANS

Here’s why data is crucial: AAPI patients are different than Caucasian diabetes patients.

We Look Different

AAPIs don’t look like “typical” (read: Caucasian) diabetes patients. We’re smaller in size, so some healthcare providers may not think to check for diabetes because we don’t always have the high body mass indexes (BMI) of Caucasian diabetes patients.
Type 2 diabetes often doesn’t have visible symptoms in the early stages, so detection is challenging, especially if people rely on risk factors that don’t apply to our populations.

We’re More Sensitive to Weight Changes

We’re more sensitive to changes in weight. Higher BMIs are associated with diabetes, in general, but even with smaller increases in BMI (that would not be significant for Caucasians), AAPIs have a higher risk for developing diabetes.

We Have Higher Proportions of Dangerous Body Fat

Even at the same BMI as a Caucasian person, an Asian American generally has a higher body fat percentage.
AAPIs have more visceral fat, which is the fat that surrounds abdominal organs and that is linked with higher rates of diabetes.

We React Differently to Gestational Diabetes

Among Asian American gestational (pregnancy) diabetes patients, particularly Chinese Americans, the babies don’t have the higher birth weights that are typically a result of gestational diabetes. It is unclear why that is true.

We Have Different Rates of Complications

Even though AAPIs experience higher rates of diabetes, they have fewer complications than Caucasian diabetes patients.

Why do we differ in these ways? Healthcare professionals and researchers need more data to understand.

3. DIVERSITY ISSUES AFFECT HEALTHCARE TOO

I was shocked and disappointed that there isn’t more data on AAPI diabetes patients, especially because it seems that every third Asian American (particularly South Asian American) has done research at some time or another in his or her quest to get a health sciences degree.

Why don’t we study our own populations?

One presenter argued that we shouldn’t consider Caucasian diabetes patients the baseline.

What if Caucasians are the outliers and somehow more susceptible to complications from diabetes, for example?

What if AAPIs have better biological coping mechanisms for this disease?

A Caucasian-focused view could cause researchers to overlook this possibility.

Additionally, because AAPI diabetes patients look different than Caucasian patients and because they have different complications, all healthcare practitioners should be aware of these issues to provide the best possible treatment to AAPI patients.

4. HEALTH IS POLITICAL

Do your eyes glaze over when someone starts talking politics?

Do you prefer to remain neutral?

You shouldn’t. Your political activity may be the difference between life and death — or at least health and sickness in our communities.

We all need to be talking to our elected officials to support further research on diabetes in the AAPI community.

Representative Mike Honda, a Democrat from California, spoke at the event, emphasizing that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans need to pressure their elected officials to support AAPI health initiatives. He encouraged health experts in the room should be working with elected officials to create policy.

5. AAPIs NEED TO STICK TOGETHER, BUT WE NEED TO BE SEPARATED

The AAPI community needs to band together for collective action. This conference was a success because many Asian American and Pacific Islander groups came together to present information on a poorly-studied community.

But from a clinical perspective, and in many other ways, the AAPI community is a diverse group.

We come from 30 countries and speak over 100 different languages.

We have vastly different rates of diabetes, and South Asians lead this group.

One presenter at the conference made the point that data from one Asian American group (e.g. Chinese Americans) cannot be extrapolated to other groups. Therefore, we need to advocate for more research and funding for all of the different AAPI groups.

THE CALL TO ACTION

The Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Diabetes Coalition Conference was inspiring in that it did not just educate the attendees but also inspired them to act in their communities.

Here’s what YOU can do about AAPI Diabetes:

1. Manage Risk FactorsWe can do lots of things to reduce our risk of developing diabetes:

Manage Your Weight

Small changes in weight can significantly decrease your risk of developing diabetes.
I know it is discouraging to try to lose weight when you have a lot to lose. But even by losing part of that weight, you will gain the benefit of cutting your diabetes risk.
This works the other way too–those 5 or 10 pounds that creep on over the years could hurt you more than people from non-AAPI backgrounds.
Here are some healthy recipes to get you started.

Mind Your Waistline

In AAPIs, BMI is a poor measure of body fat (which is associated with diabetes risk).
Instead, you should measure your abdominal circumference (a tape measure around the belly, folks) to assess diabetes risk.
People who tend to carry weight in their bellies (like me) are at greater risk of developing diabetes. We can’t spot reduce, but reducing overall weight is a good way to shrink our waists and lower diabetes risks.

Get Enough Sleep

Diabetes and sleep deficits are strongly correlated, and if you are the parent of young children I can bet you are sleep deprived!
It’s not clear whether lack of sleep causes diabetes, but it can’t hurt to get some shut eye instead of putting away that last load of laundry.

2. Take Action in Your Community

Speak Out In Your Communities and Families

Public health programs that empower members of the community to teach others about diabetes prevention and management have been successful in many AAPI groups.
In my family and many South Asian families, we typically bond by gathering around the dining table to snack and feast (often on sweets and unhealthy goodies) Instead, what if we bonded by going for a walk outside?
Instead of bringing something sugary for dessert to a temple, church, or mosque event, why not try bringing fruit or a healthy salad?

Write or Call Your Elected Officials

Call or write your elected officials to support diabetes research and education efforts. The American Diabetes Association has a helpful website that shows exactly how you can take action.
Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) urged us all to inform elected officials of the pressing health needs in our community and to insist on accountability.

3. Support Research

Many presenters said that AAPIs don’t participate in studies and clinical trials as often as they would like. Greater participation could lead to better treatment options for AAPIs.
Consider participating in studies or clinical trials, taking into account the risks and benefits.

Your Turn:
Have you had experiences with diabetes? What are your tips for managing it? How do you minimize risk factors for diabetes in your family?

Like what you see? Want to read more?

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How to Choose a Therapist

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Indian American Mom

Asian Americans and Mental Health: Stigma Is an Understatement!

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ve read over and over again about the importance of recognizing and treating mental illness. In preparation for my White House visit, I spoke with one doctor who called mental illness the “elephant in the room,” and one of the biggest cost drivers for many other South Asian health issues.

It’s not just South Asians, either. Mental health treatment is an important issue for Asian Americans as a whole. At an Asian American Heritage Month celebration I recently attended, Daphne Kwok, Executive Director of Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California, emphasized the burden of untreated mental illness on our communities. She said that many Asian American families do not want to acknowledge disability and don’t seek available resources because of the stigma. Here is more info on AAPIs and mental illness.

So What Is Mental Illness, And How Do I Seek Treatment?

Mental illness can include things like depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts, and other conditions. The good news is, these conditions are TREATABLE!

You don’t have to live with it or just be strong. It isn’t all in your head. Just like a broken arm, mental illness is a real illness that needs to be treated. And with treatment, you can be a healthier person and a better parent. In the South Asian community, there is an all or nothing perception about mental illness. Either you are completely mentally healthy (without treatment or only treated in the form of “mental strength” or positive thinking) and a functioning member of society, or you are “crazy” and will never be functional–broken in some irreparable way. In this paradigm, there is no middle ground. The truth is, you can have a mental illness, obtain treatment in the form of medication, therapy, hospitalization (in some cases) and/or lifestyle changes, AND live a happy and functional life. Here is a list of successful people who have battled mental illness.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness and would like to seek treatment, CONGRATULATIONS! Just getting to this point is a huge accomplishment.

Mental health treatment may include a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes.

Reader and Mental Health Advocate Seema Nanda Demystifies the Process of Finding a Therapist:

I Am Moms reader Seema Nanda is powerful advocate for South Asian mental health issues. She’s written this helpful resource to teach readers how to choose a therapist.

How do I choose a therapist?

The first thing you should do is research. If you’re looking for someone to talk to about the death of a parent, for example, you want someone who specializes in grief.

In addition, you can also look into different kinds of therapy. For example, some practice cognitive behavior therapy. There are many kinds, so it is a good idea to start out armed with some basic information.

Another way in which therapists differ is in their education. Some are social workers and some are psychologists. These days, there are people called life coaches, and they also do counseling. Their training and education differs from both social workers and psychologists.

Therapy is expensive. So, another thing important issue is insurance coverage. If you’re a student, it is often covered by the insurance you receive through your college or university. If not, a call to your insurance company will answer all your questions. Often the coverage for mental health is a different percentage than the other medical coverage. Make sure to ask about the deductible, if there is one for mental health coverage.

If you are uninsured, do some research on the Internet. There are inexpensive options available through your local county. On occasion, individual therapists will charge on a sliding scale according to what you can afford, so be sure to ask and find out from the individual practitioner.

The best way to choose a therapist is to make an appointment for a session. Take an hour out of your day and sit and speak with him or her in person. Feel free to ask any questions you have. It is okay to be nervous or scared. You might also ask about what kinds of methods he or she prefers. This is the only way to get a good sense of whether or not you like the person.

If you feel comfortable, you can ask your friends or relatives if they know a good therapist. Many people go to psychologists or social workers for counseling. If one of your friends or relatives can refer you to one, sometimes this is a very good way to find someone who is adept at their job. Remember, though, just because your friend likes a certain person, you might not like them as much.

How is talking to a therapist different from talking to a parent or a trusted friend?

Therapy is different from talking to a friend or a parent in a few different ways.

One way is that a therapist will not discuss anything you say with others unless you have expressed intentions to harm yourself or someone else. This means that you can feel totally comfortable to tell them anything. It can be intimidating and uncomfortable, but if you have a good one to speak to, it can feel safe and cozy.

This brings us to another aspect of therapy. Trusting the therapist is a really important part of the therapeutic process. Of course, we generally trust our parents and friends. However, when you are speaking to a therapist, you can rely on the fact that they are there to help you with your personal issues.

When you speak to a friend or a parent, it is somewhat different from talking to a therapist because each person in your life has a personal history with you. Sometimes this personal history can color the conversations you have with them.

When you speak to a therapist, however, his or her own personal feelings and own personal past stay on the outside of the office. This is not a hard and fast rule. Some follow this rule very strictly and some do share small pieces of information with you.

You can read Seema’s other work at South Asian Parent online magazine here, where she shared her battle with anorexia . You can also read her advice column, “Dear Seema Aunty” at Brown Girl Magazine here

Seema Nanda is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where she studied philosophy and religion. Her interests include reading, films, collage, and the other arts. She enjoys writing for the Desi community in the United States, especially in the area of mental health advocacy. Seema lives and works in Texas, where she was born and raised.

Other Resources
For a South Asian-specific mental health resource, check out MySahana, a South Asian mental health nonprofit, which has a wealth of articles and other resources (including a limited list of South Asian mental health professionals organized by geographic region). They have a resource on how to find a therapist too.

If you need to talk to someone now, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). They’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help with suicidal thoughts and emotional distress.

Do you have any more to add? What else do you think we can do to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues?

Like what you see? Want to read more? Follow me on Twitter @Iammomsblog, follow me on Pinterest at Iammomsblog, or subscribe to I Am Moms to receive posts by e-mail. Follow @Iammomsblog Follow Me on Pinterest

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Happy Mother’s Day! Thank You Mom, Kakis, Masis, Mamis, Bas, Nanis, Fais & Aunties!

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Indian American Mom

Happy Mothers Day to All of Our Mother Figures!

In Desi families, like many occasions, Mothers Day is a group event. In my family, we celebrated not only my mom, but my grandmothers, aunts, and other female relatives and friends. It was this rich female influence that helped nurture me into the person that I am today.

Of course, now that I’m a mom myself, I appreciate even more all of the love and hard work that goes into mothering. It’s been one of the most beautiful, rewarding experiences of my life, but also one of the most difficult.

Growing up, how many times did we hear, “You’ll understand when you’re a parent.”

Boy do I ever.

How you’re bursting with love for your little ones, and their two-toothed smiles can make a bad day a great one.

How easy it is to spout parenting philosophies like allowing early independence, and how hard it is to actually apply them when your toddler insists on eating by himself, getting spaghetti sauce all over the walls in the process.

How vulnerable you feel about any little thing that affects their lives, because you just want them to be safe and happy.

On this blog, a lot of times I call into question the ways of the older generation. My intent is to pull the best of what our cultures and the older generation have to offer while discarding the beliefs and practices that hold us back. That is one way that we can have it all.

Today, in honor of Mothers Day, I’ll share the positive things that we’ve received from our elders. Thank you to all my Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and readers who shared their ideas!

Giving Thanks for Everything
The older generation gave us so much. Here is a short list of the values they have taught us:

Teaching us to respect and cherish our elders;
Demonstrating the value of education, and supporting us while we pursued our educations;
Emphasizing the importance of family, not only in words but also in actions;
Sharing their languages with us so that we would be connected with people in other generations and countries;
Teaching us about our history and religions so that we would understand our heritage;
Celebrating colorful holidays with us and teaching us how to celebrate them with our families;
Showing us the value of hospitality, by hosting not only their friends and our relatives, but also our friends from school and work;
Being brave enough to leave an established life in their homeland for new opportunities abroad;
Providing an example of what it means to work hard and encouraging us to work hard
Mentoring us as new parents and giving us free babysitting once in awhile so that we can go on date nights;
Showing us that no matter how old we get, we’ll always be their babies )

I’m sure I’ve missed many things on this list. Can you help add to the list?

Do you have any special memories of your mother and mother figures?

Please share in the comments.

www.iammoms.com

Want to Be Polically Active But Don’t Know Where to Start?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Indian American Mom

Are you fired up about the issues in this election but don’t know how to get involved?

Want to get involved but think you have to spend lots of time volunteering to make a difference?

Have you signed up for an e-mail list for your favorite candidate but just delete those e-mails, telling yourself it doesn’t matter if you attend campaign events?

I know I’m not the only one who can answer “yes” to all these questions.

From the Back Burner to the Front Burner
Early this year, I set a goal for myself to become more politically active (I’m in the right town, don’t you think?). But at that time, it was probably one of those, “I should do it, but there’s all this other stuff that needs doing, like cleaning out my closets, and finishing Indian American Toddler’s scrapbook, and blah blah blah.” But reading the depressing and infuriating news stories about legislation targeting women’s bodily rights just pushed the becoming politically active piece WAY up on my agenda. The war on women issue is a different post altogether, but let’s just say that I believe that we deserve to have control over our own bodies, and a whole bunch of people are trying to trample that basic human right.

So I knew I had to do something to make my voice heard. Interestingly, this year I learned that I wasn’t the only one whose voice needed to be heard. I learned that Asian Americans as a whole need to have their voices heard.

Asian Americans Need to Speak Up So Our Voice Is Heard
Interestingly, this year I’ve also had lots of opportunities to learn about what the Obama administration is doing for the Asian American community, and it’s also helped me understand how we can be more politically active.

Last month, I attended a White House Initiative on Asian Americans (WHIAAPI) conference, where I learned that Asian Americans underutilize federal services. So we pay taxes and are Americans just like everyone else, but we don’t use our fair share of the government services that we are entitled to. Part of the problem is that some federal programs aren’t culturally relevant for us. To address that problem, WHIAPPI encourages Asian American federal employees to work from within their agencies to make changes so that these agencies can better serve Asian Americans. For example, we learned how federal agencies can target cultural media. These include newspapers and magazines like India West, India Abroad, India Currents, and Saturday morning Indian programs on radio and TV — I know that there are probably others for the other South Asian media outlets (I’m just naming the Indian-based ones). Please chime in if you can refer us to some other ones.

As a bully victim myself, the cause of stopping bullying is close to my heart, and I learned that the solution can be political. Did you know that one study says 54% of Asian American students are bullied and 60% are cyberbullied every year? At the WHIAAPI conference, keynote speaker Amardeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition said that a large percentage of Sikh children are bullied at school, but the Department of Education told him that it had received only a couple dozen complaints.

Asian Americans just don’t tend to speak up when federal or local governments fail to address their needs.

To counteract this same issue, the Sikh Coalition recently launched FlyRights, a mobile app that provides a quick and easy way to complain about airport civil rights violations to the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.

The National Minority Health Blogger Townhall taught me why Asian Americans need to speak up about health disparities. Our communities face many language and cultural issues that prevent us from obtaining appropriate healthcare. There is an Office of Minority Health which is working to ensure better access to healthcare for minority groups, but even at the White House event that it planned, there were very few Asian American voices. We need to stay at the table and be vocal about how programs should be tailored to meet our needs.

In short, this year I had learned several areas where Asian Americans needed to become more active in the federal government.

But I wanted to focus on a more immediate issue. How could I, Indian American Mom, help affect the outcome of this November’s election?

Ok, President Obama, I’ll Attend Your Event
With that background, I decided to finally accept one of the many Obama for America invitations that were piling up in my Inbox.

Here’s what I learned:

OFA Campaign offices look like a politics-obsessed teen’s room. There are newspaper pages, campaign posters, hand-drawn signs, graffiti art, and planning tools (like a chalkboard calendar) on the walls.

I’ll admit, in the past I’ve been intimidated about getting involved. What if everyone else knew more than I did? What if everyone else had already worked on 10 campaigns, and this was my first? I know that a lot of South Asian Americans face similar barriers that stop them from becoming politically involved.

My visit to the Virginia Women for Obama event showed me that I didn’t have to be worried about many of these things. The crowd was diverse and the volunteers were friendly. And they even gave me a pin. We fit right in!

At the Virginia Women for Obama Launch, there were people of all ages, professions, and ethnicities. There were women in wheelchairs, children, college students, and folks who looked like they’d come directly from work.

There was a calendar of events on the wall that showed how volunteers could get involved. It looks like working the phone banks is a great way to help out.

Diversity for Obama isn’t just a catchphrase. I really did see a diverse group of people rally around President Obama at this event.

I was surprised to see that the Obama for America office wish list includes items as simple as coffee filters, tea bags, and healthy food.

Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett spoke at the event. She outlined all of President Obama’s accomplishments in the past 4 years. She said we all need to pitch in by:

volunteering to work phone banks,
volunteering to stuff envelopes, and
tweeting about the Obama for America campaign.

All easy and non-scary ways to pitch in, don’t you think?

Afterwards, Valerie Jarrett mingled with Obama supporters. If you attend an event like this, I highly recommend you bring your camera. You may just get a photo opp.

Here’s me, Indian American Mom, following Valerie so I can tell her about I Am Moms and get a photo (I swear, in real life it didn’t look this creepy).

I told Valerie about I Am Moms, explaining that I’m working to get South Asian American moms to become more politically active. She said that blogging is a great way to get the word out about this.

What do you think? Not as scary as we thought, is it? And volunteering is as easy as signing up for a phone bank shift, helping out with a voter registration drive, or stuffing envelopes for an event.

So how can you get involved in the Obama for America campaign? Check out this link.

Have you attended a political event? Send the photos to iammomsblog@gmail.com, and they might be featured on our Facebook page.

www.iammoms.com

So What Did They SAY? I Am Moms At the White House – Part 3

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Indian American Mom

This is Part 3 in a series of posts on the National Minority Health Blogger Townhall. Here is Part 1 and here is Part 2.

By now, you just might be sick of Indian American Mom talking about the National Minority Health Blogger Townhall. BUT, on the off-chance that you are not, I’m giving you one last post on it. Here, I’ll get into greater detail about what the speakers said at the event. Unlike the guy who sat next to me, I didn’t have an audio recorder, so this post is based on my handwritten notes, and I did miss things here and there (i.e. don’t expect perfection here people).

I’m proud that I was able to ask a question that drew attention to the important issue of mental health in the South Asian community.

I Am Moms Initiative: Mental Health and Communities of Color
At the Townhall, I asked a question on the record about the HHS’s programs for culturally appropriate mental health treatment. I emphasized the stigma surrounding mental health that Asian Americans and/or South Asians face and said that we are underdiagnosed and undertreated. I asked what steps are being taken to offer culturally appropriate mental health services.

Dr. Nadine Gracia, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health & Director of the Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, responded that:

the Affordable Care Act provides for mental health screening
there is a dedicated office for substance abuse and mental health issues (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA)
SAMHSA requires grantees and pilot programs to articulate how they will address health disparities that minority groups face.

While this is a start, I hope that HHS does more to improve minority access to mental health services.

The Swag:

No, I didn’t get a tote bag or a nifty pen to commemorate the Townhall, but I did get a few pages as mementos.

Here’s a letter from President Obama honoring National Minority Health Month. These were given to the Townhall attendees.

A fact sheet distributed to attendees of the Townhall (they also gave us ones for African Americans and Latinos). Sorry about the carpet background.

Some of the Panelists’ Remarks:

Mayra Alvarez, Director of Public Health Policy, Office of Health Reform, US Department of Health & Human Services

This event acknowledges the disparities in healthcare minority groups face and celebrates the achievements of the Affordable Care Act in narrowing that gap.
An investment in healthcare is an investment in our economy.

Cecilia Munoz, Director of Domestic Policy Council, The White House

We want to avoid the practice of healthcare by emergency room treatment.
The Affordable Care Act helps treat conditions and prevent them, especially those that disproportionately affect minorities.

Dr. Regina Benjamin, Surgeon General, US Department of Health & Human Services

I’m a longtime advocate of prevention.
Better health leads to better school and work attendance and allows senior to be independent.
There are 4 causes for many diseases: 1) poor nutrition, 2) lack of exercise, 3) tobacco addiction, 4) alcohol addiction.
The cost of heart disease is $440 billion annually.
Clean air, healthy food and homes, and safe outdoor spaces are important in staying healthy.
We have a national prevention strategy led by a multicabinet member group. There are 4 pillars of prevention: 1) healthy and safe communities, 2) elimination of disparities, (and I missed the other two).
We are aware of cultural issues that affect health issues. For example, many black women don’t exercise because they don’t want to ruin their hair. We sponsored an exercise-friendly hair competition at the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show (here is a NY Times article about that).
The Surgeon General’s Journey to Joy puts the joy back into being healthy. Part of this is a Zumba-thon, where people dance Zumba, and I encourage people to turn on the radio and take the Surgeon General’s dance breaks.
The Surgeon General’s office also encourages breastfeeding. Less than 17% of women breastfeed at 6 months, though 90% start out breastfeeding. Part of this involves women returning to work. Breastpump purchases are now tax deductible, and the Affordable Care Act has added breastfeeding protections for working women.

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, US Department of Health & Human Services

Healthcare disparities stifle opportunities for minorities.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. singled out health disparities as an important issue linked with freedom.
We need more doctor’s offices in underserved communities to encourage early treatment.
The Affordable Care Act expands community health centers, which serve minority communities.
We already have the Health Service Corps, which is like the Peace Corps for healthcare, in which the federal government pays the student loans of healthcare professionals who work in underserved communities.
We need minority healthcare providers who offer cultural competence and language skills.
Minorities are less likely to have health insurance, and the Affordable Care Act is the strongest tool to fight healthcare disparities.
Examples of our programs include the A Million Hearts Program, to prevent a million heart attacks and strokes using smoking cessation, aspirin therapy, and cholesterol control.
We are confident that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, we are involved in aggressive implementation of the law now so people know what they stand to lose, and we will be ready if the Supreme Court decides it is unconstitutional.
We ask for your help to reach out to the most vulnerable populations with a preenrollment campaign for healthcare coverage before 2014.

Dr. Nadine Gracia, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health & Director of the Office of Minority Health, US Department of Health and Human Services

We are making efforts to increase linguistic competency, including in the rural outreach program
$11 billion is going toward community health centers
We want to capitalize on the reach of social media.
Health is interlinked with economics. For example, many people lack access to grocery stores, and their neighborhoods do not offer safe spaces for jogging.

All in all, the Townhall was a great experience, but I would have liked to see greater diversity at the event (many minorities were underrepresented). I was impressed that the Surgeon General made herself so accessible to the event attendees and that the Office of Minority Health even exists. Attending this event opened my eyes to even more minority health issues and the importance of making our voices heard in the systems that govern our lives.

What do you think are the biggest health issues facing South Asian Americans? Is there anything else you wanted to know about the event? Share in the comments.

I Am Moms

The Blog for South Asian American Moms Who Want It All

Monthly Archives: May 2012

AAPI Diabetes Conference: A Call to Action

How to Choose a Therapist

Happy Mother’s Day! Thank You Mom, Kakis, Masis, Mamis, Bas, Nanis, Fais & Aunties!

Want to Be Polically Active But Don’t Know Where to Start?

So What Did They SAY? I Am Moms At the White House – Part 3