The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 02-16-2020 | Seite 18

18 ❚ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
Preventive Care:
Outreach Programs Deliver
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
services. Furthermore, the team is able
study patterns within the Asian community
that better informs the care it provides.
“I’m a data-driven person,” said Lee.
“When we analyze all data on diabetes
among Asians, we may see a rise for
certain age groups among Japanese or
Chinese, for example. As we become more
thoughtful and analytical in our data, we
can become more targeted in our efforts
for maximum impact and quality of life.”
The personal care provided by the Asian
Health Services Program ventures beyond
that walls of Holy Name Medical Center and
into the communities where patients reside.
“We partner with churches and
community centers and do screenings
there because we want a more personal
connection,” said Lee. “We bring our team
to you. It takes away from that ‘white lab
coat’ effect that scares people. We don’t
want to be this monolith on a hill. It’s our
family taking care of your family.”
The Asian community is a priority at
Englewood Health as well, given the large
Korean population in several Bergen
County communities near the facility. The
Center for Korean Health and Wellness was
established in 2012 to offer patients the
best healthcare possible.
“We guide patients through the use
of the hospital facility during their stay and
coordinate patient care after their
discharge,” said Jina Kang, a former
nurse who now serves as Korean patient
navigator at Englewood Health. “We stay
closely connected to our patients until they
are fully recovered.”
The Center for Korean Health and
Wellness at Englewood Health occupies an
office space within hospital headquarters,
where Kang directs patients to the appro-
priate doctors and destinations. Englewood
Hospital and Medical Center also provides
Korean menu items for patients and a
Korean food section in the cafeteria for visi-
tors, as well as a Korean television channel.
The center’s impact is felt throughout
the facility and in the community at large.
Monthly seminars drawing more than 300
people are held at the hospital, detailing
a variety of health and wellness issues
and offering information about resources
available to deal with them.
“It’s not a lecture with a PowerPoint
presentation,” said Soo Yun Lee, who works
in a variety of roles related to Englewood
Health’s outreach programs. “We have an
emcee who leads a panel discussion that is
very engaging and interactive.”
Englewood Health also utilizes social
media to reach its Korean population
through the popular KakaoTalk Channel
application, where health tips and news
regarding screenings and other hospital-
wide events are promoted. Patients can
also call the Center for Korean Health and
Wellness through the application.
Annual screenings are made available
through the Englewood Health program, as
many Asian patients, said Lee, do not have
primary care physicians.
Holy Name Medical Center’s Familia y Salud program hosts a health fair each year
during Hispanic Heritage Month, offering tests and screenings for health issues
of particular concern to the Hispanic community. The event draws 400-500 people.
Kang added, “We serve as messen-
gers. I put myself in their shoes and try
to resolve any problems that arise during
the whole process of treatment. When
patients express their gratitude and send
letters telling me how unforgettable their
experience was, I realize navigators play an
important role.”
Due to the success of the program,
Englewood Health has emphasized similar
outreach programs for other ethnic groups,
including the Chinese community, which Lee
said will be a top priority moving forward.
The continued growth of culturally
sensitive care is also an emphasis at Holy
Name Medical Center, where its Familia y
Salud Program has provided healthcare
for the past decade to members of the
Hispanic community, which comprises 34
percent of the medical center’s patient
population and 24 percent of its staff.
Edward Torres was appointed
executive director of the program in 2016
with a goal of reaching as many members
of the Hispanic community as possible.
He cited diabetes, kidney issues, gastric
diseases and certain types of cancer
among the health issues most worrisome
to the Hispanic community and has
emphasized preventive care and treat-
ment of them at Holy Name.
Each year during Hispanic Heritage
Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), the medical center
PHOTO COURTESY OF HNMC
Holy Name Medical Center’s Asian Health
Services Program serves the Korean,
Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Filipino
communities and has become a national
model for culturally sensitive care.
hosts a major health fair that includes
testing for blood work, thyroid, PSA,
triglycerides, blood pressure, respiratory
issues and diabetes. This year’s event,
expected to draw 400-500 people, will
be held Saturday, Sept. 19. “We also have
live music and healthy food choices,” said
Torres. “You can get your blood pressure
checked and dance a little salsa.” He added
that free services provided to the Hispanic
community saves thousands of dollars in
medical care.
Familia y Salud also hosts health fairs
and screenings in schools and houses of
worship throughout local communities and
makes the patient experience at the medi-
cal center more convenient by providing
forms in English and Spanish and making
Spanish-speaking hospital personnel
readily available. Dietary concerns, said
Torres, are a major point of emphasis.
“We get the word out about lifestyle
changes that can affect diabetes,
hypertension and obesity. The Hispanic
community is accustomed to certain foods
like rice, for example, that is high in carbs.
Exercise plays a large role as well – we remind
patients there are a number of lifestyle chang-
es that can positively impact their health.”
Torres said positive feedback from
patients has made the effort worthwhile.
“After every health fair, patients fill out
a survey and tell us they need more of
these,” he said. “They feel at home here
and wish they had similar resources in
other areas of their lives. They have a
deep sense of gratitude to have learned
something that will follow them for the rest
of their lives and help not only themselves,
but their parents and children, too.”