Barbara Lee Announces $2.8M Grant to Asian Health Services
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) announced a $2,757,336 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant to Oakland-based Asian Health Services. This grant will allow Asian Health Services to provide quality and affordable medical and dental services to underserved populations in the East Bay.
“I am proud that Asian Health Services will receive this critical federal funding to continue to respond to the medical needs of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “As a member of the Labor, Health and Humans Services Appropriations Subcommittee, and co-chair of the Congressional Asian and Pacific Caucus's Healthcare Taskforce, I will continue to fight for resources to enable community health centers to provide medically underserved populations quality and affordable healthcare, in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.”
“Our clinic is busier than ever, thanks to the Affordable Care Act providing insurance coverage to previously uninsured patients,” said Sherry Hirota, CEO of Asian Health Services. “This $2.8 million Federal grant provides critical funding for our work and we are grateful to Congresswoman Lee for her long-standing support.”
Asian Health Services is working tirelessly to close health gaps. Since the roll-out of new coverage provided to California residents through the Affordable Care Act, Asian Health Services has taken 5,000 people off their new patient waitlist. On January 1st 4,000 uninsured Asian Health Services patients automatically received coverage through Medi-Cal. Asian Health Services has also educated 1,900 individuals on their new health coverage options and have enrolled 600 people into health plans.
The last day to enroll for health care coverage is March 31, 2014. Contact Asian Health Services at (510) 986-6880 or visit www.CoveredCA.com to get information about enrollment.
Asian Health Services is a community health center that serves for the medically underserved, including the immigrant and refugee Asian community, and advocates assure equal access to health care services regardless of income, insurance status, language, or culture. They serve over 24,000 patients and over 105,000 patient visits annually. Asian Health Services staff is fluent in English and eleven Asian languages: Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Karen Korean, Khmer (Cambodian), Mien, Mongolian, Tagalog, Lao and Burmese.