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Jennifer Choi
Assistant Director, Media Relations
NYU Medical Center Public Affairs
212-404-3555
Email: jennifer.choi@nyumc.org
NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health Presents the 2nd Annual Asian American Health Conference
New York, August 18, 2005 -- The Center for the Study of Asian American Health at the NYU School of Medicine will hold its 2nd annual conference to discuss health issues affecting the Asian American community. This year’s conference theme is “Empowering Asian American Communities.” The two day event will be held at the NYU School of Medicine’s Farkas Auditorium and will be on Friday September 23rd throughout Saturday, September 24th.
Asian Americans represent the fastest growing, yet one of the most poorly understood and neglected racial/ethnic minority groups in the nation. Contrary to the "model minority myth," a large segment of the Asian American population faces extreme social, linguistic, cultural, and economic barriers to health care. Hence, the large and growing numbers of this diverse community make it imperative for health professionals to understand and to be well trained to address the challenges that face Asian Americans.
“Leaders from across the country will gather to mobilize the community towards social change through empowerment in areas such as research, advocacy, health policy reform, service delivery, and capacity building,” said Mariano Rey, MD, Principal Investigator at the Center for the Study of Asian American Health
The conference will be commenced with a welcoming address by Dean Robert M. Glickman. The evening will also feature a keynote address by Francisco Sy, M.D., Dr.P.H., Health Scientist Administrator and Chief Office of Community-based Participatory Research and Outreach, National Institutes of Health, and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
An award ceremony will be held the first evening, highlighting the merited achievements of several leaders in Asian American health. Samuel So, M.D., founder of the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University is recipient of the National Leadership Award. His work on Hepatitis B through collaboration with congressmen and policymakers will be presented to members of the U.S. Congress. He is also a member of the National Hepatitis B Taskforce, steering committee on the California Dialogue on Cancer, and National Assembly of the American Cancer Society, which organized the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable.
The Regional Leadership Award will be given to Seongho Kim, M.S.W., of the American Cancer Society, and founder of the Korean American Social Workers Network. He has been an active member of the NYC Coalition for a Smoke Free City, and champion for Korean American health advocacy, which includes creating the first Hepatitis B screening program for Koreans in the city.
The Youth Leadership Award will be presented to Sayone Thihalolipavan of the NYU School of Medicine. He is currently the co-President of the American Medical Student Association. Thihalolipavan contributed greatly to mobilizing students for the tsunami relief effort and served as organizer of the first Regional Community Public Health Institute.
Saturday will consist of a full day of lectures, roundtables, and poster presentations that reflect innovative programs, initiatives, or research that pertain to building community capacity and partnerships; enhancing outreach and service delivery; and fostering opportunities in research, training, and leadership. Honorary remarks by Walter Tsou, M.D., M.P.H., President of the American Public Health Association, will be followed by keynote addresses from Ho Luong Tran, M.D., M.P.H., CEO of the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and Arnab Mukherjea, M.P.H., Chair of the South Asian Public Health Association.
The Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) at the NYU Medical Center is a comprehensive network of various healthcare, academic, and community organizations dedicated to examining specific health challenges in the Asian American community, establishing an environment that will promote an increased representation of Asian Americans in conducting and participating in community-based participatory research, and educating Asian American communities regarding their risks for specific diseases and chronic conditions.
| When: | September 23, 2005 5-7:45 PM September 24, 2005 8 AM-4:45 PM |
| Where: | NYU School of Medicine ( 550 First Avenue) Farkas Auditorium, Alumni Hall |
| Fee: | Free for students with valid I.D. Please visit www.med.nyu.edu/csaah for more information. |
| Contact: | Phone (212) 263-3072 Email csaahconf@med.nyu.edu |
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