Latino Health Access (LHA)

Latino Health Access, a well-recognized community based organization locally will provide guest lectures (that will be video recorded) for the Childhood Obesity and Nutrition in the Hispanic Immigrant Population portion of the module. The organization promotes health amongst the multiple needs of uninsured and underserved Latinos in Orange County through preventative and educational programs. Its purpose is to provide quality services to improve the health of this population by assuring extensive involvement of individuals’ health decisions.

LHA contact partner:

Alejandro Espinoza

Contact: aespinoza@latinohealthaccess.org

Alejandro Espinoza is currently the program coordinator of chronic diseases and special projects at Latino Health Access (LHA). He serves in multiple committees’ county wide providing his expertise on community based participatory research and outreach. His work utilizing the community health worker model at LHA has provided him the opportunity to implement this model in states like Texas, Hawaii and throughout California. Alejandro has also collaborated with academic institutions in their efforts to conduct focus groups, pilot programs and research studies within the Latino community in Orange County.

Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA)

The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Inc. (OCAPICA) was established in 1997 with the mission to build a healthier and stronger community by enhancing the well-being of Asians and Pacific Islanders through inclusive partnerships in the areas of service, education, advocacy, organizing, and research.

OCAPICA contact partner:

Jacqueline Tran

Contact: jtran@ocapica.org

At OCAPICA Jackie's work focuses on addressing health disparities in diverse communities. Research efforts take a community-based participatory research (CBPR) philosophy and approach addressing health disparities through partnerships with communities and academics. Research areas of focus include breast and cervical cancer issues among Pacific Islanders and Southeast Asian women in Southern California, physical activity and nutrition needs among Pacific Islanders in Southern California, readiness of Pacific Islander communities for biospecimens research, environmental and occupational health and safety among Vietnamese nail salon workers, and the burden of asthma and community and culturally appropriate interventions for asthma care among Vietnamese children in Orange County.

The Pacific Islander Health Partnership (PIHP)

The Pacific Islander Health Partnership (PIHP), which was founded in 2002 after the historic summit involving 22 Pacific Islander (PI) leaders from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.  PIHP’s mission is to build the capacity of PI communities for the purpose of developing strategies to eliminate health disparities, increase access and utilization of programs through effective, relevant, culturally and linguistically appropriate designed activities.  PIHP’s membership includes Kamehameha Schools Alumni Assn., civic clubs, Kama`aina Club of Orange County, Richard Kane Health Education Foundation, Hawaiian Interclub Council of Southern California, Na Mamo, glee clubs, outrigger canoe, golfing, surfing groups, Hawai`i student organizations, and all those who identify with Hawaii and the Hawaiian cultural network.  PIHP actively presents a variety of Aloha Seniors’ cultural arts and senior programs, conducts breast & cervical cancer surveys, sponsors Pacific Island Sleepover at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, conducts health screening activities at various Hawaiian community festivals,  engages in diabetes and cancer education and training projects, partners with CalOptima on diabetes and cancer education activities, the Orange County Council on Aging on increasing assess to senior services for Hawaiian, Marshallese, Samoan, Tahitian and Tongan seniors, and USC TREC (Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics) on an intergeneration family approach to cancer prevention through island nutrition and exercise for lôkahi wellness.

PIHP contact partner:

Jane Ka'ala Pang, RN

Contact: kaalasplace@yahoo.com

Jane Ka'ala Pang serves as secretary for Pacific Islander Health Partnership. A retired nurse manager, educator and case manager with 37 years experience with Los Angeles County with extensive experience in chronic disease management, Jane is now a full- time volunteer health advocate and a community organizer. She coordinates native Hawaiian community assessment on breast and cervical cancer knowledge and screening behaviors for the API Task Force - California Cancer Detection Program. She also volunteers on behalf of WINCART, Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research & Training for the Native Hawaiian community, National Cancer Institute-Community Network Program to reduce cancer disparities among Hawaiians and Pacific Island communities.