Health Emergency in the Cambodian Community
The National Cambodian American Health Initiative (NCAHI) is a
nationwide collaboration of community-based organizations and individuals
committed to addressing the heath problems of survivors of war, torture, and
genocide from Cambodia who are now living in the United States.
Recent studies indicate that Cambodians have a high prevalence rate of
depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In Massachusetts,
Cambodians are six times more likely to die from diabetes than the general
population. In California, they have a stroke rate 4 times than that of White
Californians.
These serious health conditions are escalating at the same time that
resources for the community are decreasing. It is estimated that at least 50%
of Cambodian adults need the help of medical interpreter to fully engage in a
treatment program and 30% of adults are disabled with one or more
conditions. Cambodians are living below the poverty level and need
assistance to access care. Since 1996, more than half of all Cambodian
community-based organizations have closed their doors.
These escalating needs and diminishing resources have created a health
emergency that threatens the life and well being of Cambodians and their
families. On November 13, 2005, NCAHI declared a state of health
emergency in the Cambodian Community.
The declaration of a state of emergency triggered a series of responses.
The first response was the National Cambodian Town Hall Meeting, which
was held on April 17, 2006 to discuss the health emergency. The meeting
was hosted by the Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields
Memorial in Chicago, Illinois, and linked five sites from across the US using
videoconferencing technology. This was the first national meeting of its kind
and brought together over 400 community members and health care
providers nation-wide to discuss the emergency.
The second response is the drafting of a report detailing the Town Hall
Meeting and information about the emergency. This report will be available
early in 2007.
The third response is a series of regional meetings with Cambodian
community leaders to formulate a long term plan for caring for the
communities. This meeting, which is graciously hosted by Brown University
and Khmer Health Advocates and sponsored by the Office of Minority
Health and the National Diabetes education Program, is the first of these
planned meetings. We welcome you to this historic meeting and thank you
for your concern for the Cambodian community.
Theanvy Kuoch, Chairperson for NCAHI
Registration (8:30am)
Public Awareness Forum (9:00 a.m. to noon)
Facilitator: Mr. Bun Hap Prak, Executive Director,
Cambodian Family Health Forum
Part One: 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Overview on Cambodian Refugees and Perspectives on the Current Health Crisis
Panelists:
Ms. Theanvy Kuoch, Executive Director, Khmer Health Advocates
Health Emergency: current health issues affecting Cambodian Americans
Dr. Richard Miller, Medical Director, Khmer Health Advocates
Back to basics: medical approaches to treating victims of genocide and torture
Mr. Kompha Seth, Cambodian Association of Illinois
Cambodian Concepts of Healing
Ms. Margret Chang, student, Brown Medical School
Integrative Case: Type 2 Diabetes in Cambodian Refugees
Question and Answer Session
Break (15 minutes)
Part Two: 10:45-noon
Solutions—Integrated Services and Community Outreach
Panelists:
Mr. Sonith Peou, Program Director, Metta Health Ctr/ Lowell Community Health Ctr
Modeled Health Center: Integration of Eastern and Western health approaches
Dr. Soneath Pond, Internist based in Cranston, RI
Ms. Heang Tan, Associate Director, Khmer Health Advocates
The role of community health workers in healthcare delivery
Ms. Mary Scully, Clinical and Program Director, Khmer Health Advocates
Telemedicine: technological approaches to providing care for Cambodian
refugees
Question and Answer Session
Break (12:00pm to 1:00 pm)
Cambodian Health Emergency Strategic Planning Meeting (1:00-4:00pm)
This meeting will focus on developing long term community- based strategies to
address the health problems of the Cambodian community. It is open to all
Cambodian leaders involved with the health issues of their community. Participants
will include members of the NCAHI steering committee and local leaders.
A collaborative effort between Khmer Health Advocates and Brown Medical School
with support from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of
Minority Health Region 1, the National Diabetes Education Program (a joint program
of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health),
and Brown University.
Silent Trauma: Response to the Health
Emergency Affecting Cambodian
Refugees in the United States
Directions to Brown University
From Hartford, Boston, and New York City:
From Interstate 95, follow signs to Interstate 195 East. Once on the I-195
ramp, move all the way over to the right lane as soon as possible and take
Exit 1, Downtown Providence. Follow the exit ramp to the first light and
turn right onto Dyer Street. At the third light turn right onto College Street,
at the top of which is located the Brown campus. Turn left on Prospect,
right on Meeting Street, and then takes the first left onto Brown Street.
Smith-Buonanno Hall is located on your right.
From East Providence and all points east:
Follow Interstate 195 West and take Exit 2, South Main Street. Travel
down South Main Street to the first light. Turn right onto College Street, at
the top of which is located the Brown campus. Turn left on Prospect, right
on Meeting Street, and then takes the first left onto Brown Street. SmithBuonanno Hall is located on your right.
Seating for this meeting is limited to 120 people. Please register by email
with your name, address, and phone number before January 8, 2007, to:
htan@khmerhealthadvocates.org
or fax: (860) 561-3538
A public awareness on the current health crisis
in the Cambodian Community;
followed by a regional strategic planning meeting
with Cambodian Community Leaders
Saturday, January 13, 2007
9:00am – 4:00pm
Brown University
Smith-Buonanno Hall, Rm. 106
Corner of Brown and Cushing Streets
Providence, RI 02912