Special Recognitions

Dr. Grace Ma was honored with the Outstanding Scientific Publication Award by NCI-CRCHD, National Institutes of Health (NIH) in July, 2009.

On October 9, 2009, Dr. Grace Ma was honored with the Outstanding Health Leadership Award in recognition of her dedication, contributions and accomplishments in promoting health for Asian Americans by Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) and Chinese Community Center, Inc. New York, U.S.A. established in 1883 with a history of 126 years. CCBA is one of the oldest community organizations in Chinatown.

This was reported by the largest Asian media "World Journal", "The Overseas Chinese Newspaper" and NTDTV distributed throughout the United States and nationwide.

ATECAR Steering Committee & ACCC Advisory Board Meeting

The Center for Asian Health hosted its 22nd annual open meeting of the ATECAR - Community Cancer Network Steering Committee and the Asian Community Cancer Coalition (ACCC) Advisory Board in Philadelphia, PA on Thursday, December 11, 2008.

The purpose of this meeting was to engage an ongoing dialogue with Asian community advisors, clinical and research partners in the development and future direction of outreach, education, research and clinical programs; to gain insights on culturally appropriate interventions and effective strategies to overcome barriers to access to health care system, early detection, diagnosis and treatment; and to seek feedback and opportunities to further improve CAH's programs for the diverse Asian populations it serves. The participants specifically included representatives from Asian ethnic groups, faith-based organizations, health officials, health service providers, junior researchers, academics/researchers, administrators, CAH staff, and the media from Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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Tobacco Academy

A special training academy, titled "Addressing Tobacco Use in the Asian American Communities of the Greater Philadelphia Region" to address Asian tobacco control, tobacco industry and the Asian American community, and coalition building for tobacco control. Sixty Asian community leaders participated in the academy. The event, which provided the community with up-to-date information on tobacco control issues, was historic and unique to Asian communities.

Pan Asia Radio Campaign

This is a collaborative venture between Center for Asian Health, the Atlantic Region CIS and Pan Asia Radio (PAR) in which a series of 30-minute programs on cancer control issues were prepared and aired in several languages over PAR. The goal was to increase awareness of cancer issues in Asian American communities as well as to increase utilization of available cancer resources, especially CIS and CAH. The program topics were:

• Smoking and Your Health
• Teenagers and Tobacco
• Early Detection Saves Lives
• You and Cervical Cancer

The 'infomercials' were aired over a period of eight weeks. The call volume data by the Atlantic Region CIS indicated that the number of 1-800-4-CANCER calls received during the eight-week airing period had increased by 84%.

APHA API Caucus and Center for Asian Health Event

In cooperation with APHA API Caucus, the Center for Asian Health organized a social event during the APHA 130th annual meeting in Philadelphia. More than 100 national and regional health professionals and Asian community leaders, engaged in promoting public health among APIs, attended the meeting. Among the attendees were NCI SPN Program Director, Mr. Frank Jackson and Chief of Disparities Research Branch, Dr. Kenneth Chu, and APHA President Dr. Faye L. Wang, all of whom addressed the gathering on the subject of cancer health disparity. Mr. Jackson and Dr. Chu commended Dr. Grace Ma, Director and PI of ATECAR, and her team on their outstanding contributions to the goals of the NCI.

Asians Refuse Tobacco Program --ART

Center for Asian Health held a community-based, family oriented educational and cultural event to sensitize and educate the community about the adverse effects of smoking and secondhand smoke. The event's theme was Asians Refuse Tobacco--ART. Cultural and recreational activities underscored the importance of healthy lifestyle and tobacco-free homes and workplace. The program presented a variety of activities to draw different age groups, including a lion dance and other cultural activities, special guest speakers, table tennis and basketball tournaments, health fair and health screening, anti-tobacco arts and educational board displays, and lucky drawings, etc. Participating in the event were representatives of the Asian Community Cancer Coalition, lay, business, and community leaders, city representatives, clinicians, academicians and the media. The event attracted about 500 adults and children of varying ages.