Asian Health Services Opens New Clinic in Oakland Chinatown
OAKLAND -- What began as a one-room clinic run by student volunteers in the early '70s has evolved into clinics at nine sites around Alameda County, with staff communicating in about 10 Asian dialects and languages.
Asian Health Services, which has seen steady growth over the years, hosted an opening of its newest clinic on Thursday. Located in the heart of Chinatown in Oakland where the former Silver Dragon restaurant once stood, the new clinic will help make a dent in the AHS wait list of 5,000 people and continue to bridge the language barrier faced with some patients.
When AHS first began, communication problems were one of the top obstacles for people using health services in the community, said Sherry Hirota, AHS chief executive officer. The goal of the organization is to get more people to seek help, she said.
The clinics today serves more than 23,000 patients, with more than 111,000 visits annually.
"Because of language access, because of the cultural competence, because this is where people feel they can understand the physician," Hirota said. "There is a trust that we can navigate and help them make use of the system. Without a place like Asian Health Services, people tend to underutilize health services."
Haiyan Wu, an AHS patient for more than 20 years who only speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, said she appreciates that she can communicate with AHS staff and hopes the service can expand to provide even more care.
The newest clinic, which cost $11 million, houses 20 exam rooms, with a small room for minor procedures on each of the three floors. Staff has been adjusting to the new site and its modern features.
Check-in kiosks help eliminate lines so patients have shorter waiting times. The new facility will also focus on team-based care, with pods in the middle of each floor to encourage more cross-communication, said Jen Lee, community services director for AHS.
"We are really excited to have this clinic here," Lee said. "I hope that we just continue to grow, because there's definitely such a huge need."
The new clinic mainly provides primary care services. A geriatric center on the second floor offers senior specific programming.
"Asian Health Services ... cares about, not only your health care personally, but the health care of this community and of this city," Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, told the grand opening crowd on Thursday, "and so for that we owe you (AHS) a debt of gratitude."
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