Sitting here at the first Team HBV Collegiate conference listening to Dr. Dale Hu of the CDC speak. I'm really enjoying how he's telling us about his background and his perspectives on being an Asian in the States. I always wonder about a speaker's background, so its really cool that he is opening up to us. i love that he was part of Math Club and Chess Club! His comments on the myth of the model minority were really intriguing, especially when he talked about the 30% of tech workers in Silicon Valley are Asian vs. 12% of the senior staff. He also talked about how Asians need to "toot their own horn" professionally. I really want to read some of the books he recommended - Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, and the Art of War and the books by Peter Drucker.
 

Last night was wonderful - it was the welcome dinner and all the Team reps came, met each other, ate, and banged on tables really really loudly!

Dr. So, Director of the Asian Liver Center,  missed last night because of a delayed flight, but his talk this morning was fantastic. He talked about what pulled him into chronic HBV and liver cancer. I liked how he pointed out that we need to take advantage of what comes our way and not make them missed opportunities. His emphasis about encouraging primary care providers to make screening their API patients standard of care and routine really struck a chord. He talked about the sucesses of the SF Hep B Free campaign and the internaional efforts that the ALC engages in.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, September 9, 2009 - All couples registering for marriage licenses in San Francisco will now receive additional information on Hepatitis B, thanks to an executive directive issued by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on September 9, 2009, an auspicious day for many Asians.  The directive orders the San Francisco County Clerk to offer information on hepatitis B testing and vaccination locations along with the required marriage license booklet. Hepatitis B information will be prepared and supplied by the Department of Public Health.

"The prevalence of Hepatitis B in San Francisco's Asian community demands intervention to increase awareness of this vaccine preventable disease," says Mayor Gavin Newsom in his executive directive. Mayor Newsom and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, both active supporters of San Francisco Hep B Free, are leading the Hepatitis B awareness effort, along with more than 50 healthcare and Asian Pacific Islander (API) organizations.

San Francisco has the highest liver cancer rate in the nation, due to its high population of Asian Americans. HBV is the greatest health disparity between Asians and non-Asians. One in 10 Asians are chronically infected with Hep B and are 4 times more likely to die from liver cancer compared with the general population. 80% of liver cancer worldwide is caused by chronic HBV infection. Early detection of HBV will benefit the carrier as well as prevent the infection from spreading. Hepatitis B is not only vaccine preventable, but it also has effective treatments that can slow or prevent liver damage caused by the disease.

The SF Board of Supervisors and SF Health Commission have passed unanimous resolutions supporting SF Hep B Free. The campaign puts San Francisco at the forefront of the nation in fighting chronic hepatitis B. It is the largest, most intensive healthcare campaign for Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. This initiative has received national attention and is being looked to as a model by the California legislature.

About San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign
San Francisco Hep B Free is a citywide campaign to turn San Francisco into the first HBV free city in the nation. This unprecedented campaign will screen, vaccinate and treat all San Francisco Asian and Pacific Islander (API) residents for HBV by providing convenient, free or low-cost testing opportunities at partnering health facilities and events.

San Francisco Hep B Free will be hosting its 2nd annual fundraiser - the B a Hero Gala on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the Empress of China Restaurant Grand Ballroom located at 838 Grant Ave, San Francisco, beginning at 6pm. For more information contact Tamiko Wong, twong@awfoundation.com or (415) 321-5865.

http://www.sfhepbfree.org