The San Diego Pharmacist Resource and Research Network is conducting a study to discover the best pharmacists/pharmacy practices in San Diego. Network members were asked to nominate pharmacists for their innovative practice. These pharmacists were interviewed by UCSD students. A short video footage of each pharmacist interview is now posted via the network’s virtual community hosted on the SciVee website. Along with this video you will find a brief description about their innovative practice. Web links to these videos is also available via the Network’s website (http://sdpharmacist.ucsd.edu).
The Asian Pacific Health Center (APHC) is a non-profit organization focusing mainly on educating community members about the seriousness of diseases that are prevalent in the Asian community such as Hepatitis B and some cancers. People often underestimate these diseases because of undetectable symptoms. APHC also provides low-cost health services to individuals with limited access due to financial, cultural and language barriers.
Under the leadership of Dr. Binh Tran, the Executive Director of APHC, this organization continues to provide a number of primary-care services and screenings despite its limited funding. Multiple times a year, APHC organizes large community health fairs and outreach events. Through these fairs, APHC provides free Hepatitis B screenings, diabetes and cholesterol monitoring, blood pressure checks, bone density tests, and vision checkups. By doing so, Dr. Tran strives to increase the Asian community’s awareness on the importance of periodic screenings and seeking of comprehensive treatment if the individual is tested positive for certain diseases. However, because many patients serviced by APHC do not have health insurance, they often decide not to start major treatments until their diseases worsen. Convincing their patients to undergo such treatments is one of the hurdles that Dr. Tran and APHC often face. In addition to the community health fairs, special outreach programs such as Medicare Part D Prescription are also conducted. The goal of these programs is to help senior patients navigate through the complexity of health plans and co-pays.
In order to provide more services, APHC collaborates with various organizations. Through the yearly grant received from the Komen for the Cure organization in San Diego, APHC conducts outreaches to encourage women to get mammograms when they reach the age of 40. APHC also cooperates with San Diego Herald Cancer Center to organize Hepatitis B screening events, as well as the Tzu-chi foundation, a Taiwanese International organization specializing in health care activities in the US and abroad, to assess the healthcare delivery system in Mexico. From Dr. Binh Tran’s dedication and hard work, the Asian Pacific Health Center has inspired many individuals and has touched many lives.
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