Dear Friends,

I am writing to give you today’s update from Asian Health Services (AHS), the community health center and safety net for 50,000 AAPI patients in 14 Asian languages, throughout Alameda County. I want to share with you our front line experiences and perspectives, from the patients, our health care workers, and our broader community.  I also want to ask for your help during this urgent health crisis.

In these past weeks we’ve seen both great resilience and great need. Our community is faced with challenges of COVID-19 that are hitting everyone on the national level, with a focus on the need for tests, an emphasis on safety protective gear to prevent transmission (PPEs or Personal Protective Equipment), and addressing the anxiety and isolation caused by the pandemic and Shelter in Place. Our AAPI community is in a particular nexus of vulnerability as we are disproportionately affected by language barriers and escalating anti-Asian racism. There are many stories of courage, and also stark examples of vulnerable patients needing care and support. Our teams are working day and night to address clinical needs, creating a new and intensive tele-visit mode of patient support and also providing critical emotional and social services counseling that are increasing every day. READ MORE…