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Dear South Cove Staff, Friends, and Supporters: 
First of all, I would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year (the Year of the Ox).
We are moving forward with the eClinical medical records, and I am pleased to say that the pediatrics department is now 100% with eClinical and have given up the paper encounter forms. They are also electronically invoicing out all patients. Adult medicine department and behavioral health department are in the process of moving forward everyday on eClinical.
Julie Chou has just completed updating the South Cove website. We are also in the process of updating our brochures by location, by doctor for all clinics, and we are publishing our second newsletter.
I think in the next year, our mission will be greater because our challenges are many with all the cuts to the state and federal government. We are continuing to move forward with the remodeling of Washington Street clinic by spring 2009, adding more exam rooms and doctors to serve our patients. We are also looking to add one more doctor in the adult medicine department and one in the dental department.
We are also trying to write several grants to expand our services. So all and all, we are moving forward and I must ask for everyone's help with this task, and together we will not fail.
Sincerely,
Eugene Welch
Executive Director |
| Hepatitis B Screening and Outreach |
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Hepatitis B has long been dubbed the "silent killer" because it can often go undetected for years. Most of the people infected exhibit no symptoms until severe liver damaged has occurred. The disease is especially prevalent among Asians. Statistics and various studies show astonishing figures. Worldwide, an estimated 350 to 400 million people suffer from chronic Hepatitis B and 75% of those infected are Asian. In the United States, according to the US Center for Disease Control, more than half of the 1.3 million infected with chronic Hepatitis B are of Asian descent, many of whom are foreign-born. A cross-sectional survey of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese in US cities shows an HBsAg seroprevalence rate of 10.4% (% that tested positive from the Hepatitis B surface antigen blood test). But what is more alarming than the high infection rate is that there are many Asians who are unaware of their Hepatitis B infection, which makes health education and outreach on the disease all the more important.
Under the leadership of Dr. Rong Guan, head of the Adult Medicine department, South Cove has, for years, championed a Hepatitis B screening and outreach program. The program is two-fold, on the medical side, we provide Hepatitis B screening to ALL new patients. On health education & outreach, we speak with and offer patients informational pamphlets available at the health center to raise awareness. Dr. Guan recalls that a decade ago, when he first came aboard, what was available in print on Hepatitis B as it relates to the Asian American community was old and out of date. He had to gather new information and put together updated materials on his own for patients. Healthcare organizations and advocates for Hepatitis B awareness among Asians have certainly come a long way over the years. According to Dr. Guan, the community is now more knowledgeable about this disease and has a better grasp of its seriousness, but he also stated that "there is always more that can be done." To that end, we have stepped up this effort with the help of the eClinical EMR. We are now able to track patients' progress with the click of a button and set up reminders/alerts to make sure high risk patients receive routine screenings for Hepatitis B and liver cancer. The system would alert the PCP if a patient was due for a screening. On the outreach front, we could not be more pleased with a chance incident that will give us the opportunity to reach out to even more people concerning this potentially deadly disease.
It all started when a 28-year-old Asian restaurant worker was diagnosed with liver cancer associated with Hepatitis B at BIDMC. At his liver biopsy and transplant appointments, he was greeted and helped by the Asian cancer navigator, Christina Ho. The patient's family medical history associated with Hepatitis B was a cause for concern. Both his father and grandfather died from liver cancer and all his siblings have Hepatitis B. After finding out about this, Christina mentioned to the patient that all his siblings should have further Hepatitis B evaluation as a preventive measure given the family history with liver cancer. His illness put his boss on alert and she too was concerned about not only him but the other employees she has working in the restaurant. She called Christina and expressed her desire to do more to help out and raise awareness of this disease to her 100+ employees. Christina referred her to the Hepatitis B materials available at the health center. She also recommended that she speak to her employees about Hepatitis B, and encourage them to come in to the health center for screening. We imagine that we will soon be greeted with a horde of restaurant workers looking to get Hepatitis B screening and/or seeking information on the disease.
This is a model example of how health education and outreach is achieved: not by any one individual but by different parties working together. We hope to reach out to as many community members as possible not just on Hepatitis B but on other diseases to which Asians face high susceptibility, such as tuberculosis and diabetes. We are constantly working toward educating our patients and emphasizing the importance of preventive care. That way, people are armed with the necessary knowledge to best take care of their overall health and well-being. |
| BH Department Hoping to Expand Services |
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 Dr. Albert Yeung, head of the Behavioral Health department, and one of his staff, Dr. Catherine Vuky, have been working on a grant application with the federal government through South Cove's 330 grant status. The grant proposal calls for an expansion of our BH services with enhancements in components including but not limited to: depression screening, case registry & case management, medication affordability, community outreach, collaborative management and additional staffing. Having identified depression as the health disparity to target, South Cove will focus on recognizing patients with depression and engaging these patients in treatment. We will also increase outreach efforts to educate the Asian population in the community on what depression is, how to recognize it, and the effective treatments available. But ultimately, the goal is to, through our comprehensive BH services, counter the stigma that exists among the Asian population concerning mental disorders. The proposal was recently submitted for review. Although the competition is fierce for any kind of funding these days, we are cautiously optimistic.
Besides the grant application, there are other initiatives that the department has undertaken to provide support to its patients. One of them was the Tai Chi class for patients suffering from depression, which was very well received. It was a collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital to study the effect of Tai Chi on depressed patients. In this study patients that fit the criteria were recruited and invited to attend Tai Chi classes free of charge for a period of 8 weeks. Trained clinicians would follow these patients through in-class observation and document changes they notice. The class seemed to have yielded a positive effect on the participants. According to Dr. Yeung, people who participated in the study really enjoyed the Tai Chi class and have expressed how this class had brought a sense of belonging to them. This is largely due to the fact that many of the participants are socially isolated in their lives, and the Tai Chi class provided an opportunity for social interaction and connection, both of which have been known to improve patients' state of mind. The first round of Tai Chi classes has already ended. Recruitment and enrollment for the 2nd round participants are currently underway. The new class will start in the middle of March. It will meet 2 times a week for 8 weeks at our South Street clinic, and again, it is offered free of charge to those who are eligible for the study. Interested individuals should call 617-643-6057 for more detail. Since the first round of Tai Chi classes was a pilot study, and the number of participants not significant enough to initiate a data analysis, we hope to build on it with this 2nd round of classes. If the outcome is promising, Dr. Yeung and his department plan to apply for a Federal Grant to conduct a bigger study on the effects of Tai Chi for mood symptoms.
It is our hope that these programs will yield a positive outcome on the fight against the stigma associated with mental illnesses among Asians and encourage them to seek help. |
| South Cove's Annual Holiday Party |
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 South Cove's Annual Holiday Party was held on Friday, 12/12/2008 at the China Pearl Restaurant in Quincy. The party is the grandest center-wide event. Staff members from all four sites converge at year's end to not only celebrate the holiday season but also to have the rare opportunity to catch up with those at other sites. It is truly a party for the staff thrown by the management as a token of appreciation for their year-long hard work. Traditionally, the party has been held in Chinatown, but this past year we elected to have a change of scenery, which landed us in Quincy.
With over 350 in attendance, including staff, board members, their families and invited guests, the party was a fun-filled celebration and feast. We were also honored to have Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch and Natalie Nguyen from Councilor Sam Yoon's Office of Community Relations joining us. It would not have been a great party without delicious food of course. Attendees were treated to an exquisite 10-course Chinese style banquet that provided the ultimate culinary experience. Not to let food steal the show, the planning committee organized entertainment featuring performances by staff and their children showcasing their talents.  The carol singing at the end of the entertainment segment brought out the holiday spirits in everyone. Adults and children joined in to conjure up a picture-perfect moment! But the highlight of the party had yet to come -- the visit by Santa Claus, which signaled to all the children: Gift Time! It was a bit chaotic as 90+ children all swarmed to the stage at once. But with the help of his elves, Santa had no problem carrying out his yearly duty of spreading joy and cheer to the children. The children had a great time receiving gifts and posing for pictures with Santa. It was a wonderful time for all that participated.
A tremendous amount of work went into the planning of the party; from helping select toys, wrapping gifts, decorating the venue, welcoming & checking-in guests and taking photos, to coordinating the performances and distributing the gifts. It was a collaborative effort that exemplified great team work. With the Quincy site being the host this year, a lot of credit goes to Lily Moh and her Quincy staff, but also many others that pitched in from the Chinatown Clinic, South St. Clinic and the BASE program. It was also the first time using computers to check in guests, another small step in the health center's effort to go paperless in all aspects of our operation! It was indeed a job well done. We would like to recognize all the staff that had a hand in making the party such a success.
All Quincy staff and Dorothy Chin, Linda Chu, Christine Keung, Mary Jo Majors, Madeline Wan, Pauline Wong and Casey Yeong.
Santa Claus crew: Helen Quach, Billy Lee and Eric Tiberi
MCs: Emily Cheung, Hazel Cheng, Peggy Choi and Lillian Lai
Electronic Check-in: Diane Lee, for initiating the idea, developing and implementing it.
Key event planners: Lillian Lai, Raymond Tam and Connie Lun.
Specials thanks to the performers: Leona Tu (Jessica Ngo's daughter), Leland Wu (Dong Huang's son), Judy Su's family (daughter Amanda and husband Joe), Drs Choon-Weng Chan, Justin Koh and Kenneth Yeung.
Event sponsors: China Pearl (Quincy Center), Hong Kong Eatery, Saigon Corner, Crown Royal Bakery and Five Spices China Bistro
Last but not the least: Eugene Welch, the pillar of the health center and staff, whose support made this party a possibility and also ensured that all children 0-16 years of age went home with a gift! |
| South Cove Celebrates the Year of the Ox |
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 2009 is the year of the Ox in the 12-year Chinese lunar cycle. The Ox symbolizes hard work and prosperity through hard work. Following a tumultuous 2008, we all look forward to a fresh start with renewed hope for prosperity. Being an Asian health center, South Cove observes the Chinese New Year holiday. The health center also partakes in events and celebrations organized by community agencies to usher in the new year.
This year, our Quincy Clinic organized a lion dance performance as a treat for our patients and residents in the building. It was performed by the Shaolin Hung Gar Martial Arts Academy on Saturday, January 31, 2009. The Chinese lion dance expresses joy and happiness and is believed to bring good fortune. As such, lion dances are frequently arranged for the consecration of temples, business grand openings and religious events. It is also an integral part of the traditional Chinese new year celebration. In the old days, lion dance troupes would tour from village to village during the two-week-long New Year celebration.
Besides hosting our own small-scale ceremony, South Cove also sponsored jointly with BIDMC and participated in the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in Quincy. The event, organized by the Quincy Asian Resources Inc., has quickly grown in both popularity and size over the years. South Cove was present at the event to introduce our center and services to a wider range of constituencies. Eugene Welch gave a brief greeting at the opening of the celebration. South Cove's booth had brochures and materials as well as games set up for children. The Quincy staff designed and made the games from cardboard. Each child that stopped by our booth would be asked to put down his/her name on the sign up sheet if he/she wanted to play. They would then be given a ball to roll and depending on which slot the ball went into, a small prize would be given. If the ball went into the slot that had been tested as the hardest one to get into, then the child would draw a number and receive a bigger prize that corresponds to the number.  By the end of the event, South Cove had seen close to 500 kids dropping by to play games.
The festival has become the most widely attended lunar year celebration in Quincy. It drew over 6,000 in attendance this year. Given the impressive number of the Asian population that continues to climb year after year, South Cove is proud to be the largest Asian health center in the area. The Quincy clinic serves over 9,000 patients annually with over 52,000 visits.
We would like to thank the following staff that helped out with this event: Raymond Tam, Connie Lun, Angela Chan, Doris Nganlo, Yan Li Mai and Anthony Tam.
Please visit our website at http://www.scchc.org to see more pictures of these two events. |
| Staff's Quick Thinking and Action Averted a Potential Code Blue |
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On a normal working Saturday for our providers and staff at the Quincy Clinic, the usual quietness was broken by a sudden commotion when there came not one but two walk-in patients both complaining about chest discomfort. Right away the patients were triaged, and the doctor on duty was notified.  Two nurses' aides provided the critical assistance that helped stablilize the patients. Chao Xiong and Amy triaged the patients and did the ECGs with great efficiency. Chao Xiong then quickly but calmly called for ambulances, contacted the patients' families and assisted the patients when the ambulance arrived. Under the supervision of the doctor, Chao Xiong and Amy executed all the necessary steps that they had been trained for flawlessly and quickly. It is because of their quick reaction that the situation did not escalate into something more serious. One of the two patients had a severe heart attack but survived and recovered very well due to the prompt triage, initial treatment and transfer. The other did not have a serious heart attack.
We are thankful that the staff handled the situation with professionalism and efficiency. As much as we hope for this kind of incident not to happen, we take comfort in knowing that our staff are well trained and prepared for the unexpected. |
| Updates on On-Going Projects |
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eClinicalWorks EMR: the road to EMR has not been all smooth sailing. As with any journey, storms and strong currents are expected variables. But we are glad that, so far, we have weathered through a few and each one of them has been a valuable learning experience that made us stronger. Pediatrics is now 100% paperless; BH and Adult medicine are slated to "go live" next. The entire system has just been upgraded with the latest version. All users are going through training by departments. Representatives from the BIDMC pathology department were present at our February staff meeting to demonstrate how the BIDMC WebOMR system will interface and be compatible with the South Cove eClinical system to handle all lab transactions.
 Mammography and bone density relocation date draws closer: the construction for the new imaging center is completed. It will house mammography, bone density and ultrasound. We are awaiting word from the Department of Public Health to grant us the operating license. The new facility will be classified as an expansion of the 145 South Street facility, as opposed to a free standing center.
This relocation is part of an extensive expansion project of which the health center is in the midst. Once space is vacated at our main clinic on Washington Street, construction will be underway to add more examine rooms to accommodate the ever growing needs of our medical departments. |
| New Provider Information for Patients |
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A series of steps were taken in an effort to improve and enhance communications with our patients, community partners and supporters.
The first of which was the resumption of the newsletter production, which will keep people informed of what is happening in and around South Cove on a quarterly basis. Another project was updating our provider information.  We have packets by location enclosed with a profile on each provider that are given out to existing and potential patients. The health center has grown considerably since the last update, we have added more providers and services. Moreover, some information was simply out dated and needed revision. The end result was an addition of 17 new providers to the previous 26 printed in 2004. South Cove now has a total of 43 providers working hard to serve the Asian community addressing their medical needs. Patients will be able to have access to more information on our providers including their education, board certification, specialty, and language skills. This would be especially beneficial when new patients are asked to choose a PCP. Third, the South Cove website, which had been dormant for quite some time, is seeing plenty of action lately. Changes have been made to numerous pages. Perhaps the most noticeable was the Provider Directory page, which now lists all South Cove providers with a picture and a short bio on each. In addition, we have added links to our quarterly newsletter and photos taken at recent events that the health center either participated in or hosted. The website will be updated regularly to give patients and visitors online access to the most current information.
Hopefully these are all positive moves that will keep the communication flow open and steady. |
| Generous Donation to the Helping Hand Fund |
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 South Cove's Helping Hand Fund was established in 2002 through fundraising/development efforts of the health center. The purpose of this fund is to provide medically related help to the patients in our South Cove community. Each patient may be rewarded a maximum of $500/family/year.
During the course of medical treatments, often our population of patients still lacks funding for dire medically related needs that their insurance does not or can not cover. When providers come across this need, they may desire to help out these families with a more personal touch.
Since its establishment, the fund has helped many patients and families in need. In past years, a portion of the proceeds from South Cove's fundraiser Jade Gala would go into the Helping Hand Fund. We also receive donations from patients, community members, staff members and supporters. The most recent donation was from Linda Chu, a South Cove long-timer, and her husband Paul Lee, who is actively involved with the Chinatown community. We express our sincere thanks for this donation and appreciate their kind gesture as a way of giving back to the community.
Thank-You Letter from Eugene Welch
I would like to take a moment and thank Linda Chu and Paul H.M. Lee for their very generous donation to the South Cove Helping Hand Fund for cancer support. I'd like to remind people that might know of someone that's suffering from cancer and cannot afford items such as wigs, scarves or hats that we do have this Helping Hand Fund to support such patients and causes. Again, my sincere thanks to Linda and Paul. |
| South Cove is Hiring! |
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 With the clinics opening 7 days a week for over 60 hours, we find that some departments are stretched thin and at times the staff over worked. While we want to open as many hours as possible to be the most accessible clinic, we do not want to compromise the quality of care to our patients or the quality of life for our staff. This is why it is so important to have depth in all departments. With that in mind, we have set out to look for an additional internist and dentist to join our family.
At the same time, we are pleased to announce that with the arrival of a new nurse in March, South Cove now officially has at least two nurses in each medical department. It is no news that nurses have been on high demand. Many healthcare organizations face nurse shortages and South Cove was in no different a predicament. But what made our situation trickier was that good nurses are hard to come by, good nurses with the language skills required to serve our community are even more scarce. The health center had needed to boost its recruiting effort to find quality nurses to meet demand. With this latest addition, we are proud to say that we have finally filled all our nurse vacancies!
For more information on job openings and other vacancies, please feel free to contact the Human Resources Department.
South Cove CHC
Human Resources
145 South Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02111-2826
(617) 521-6701 TEL
(617) 521-6799 FAX |
| Patients' Corner: What They Say about Us |
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 We routinely receive thank you letters and praise from patients. Our staff members have always prided themselves in their role at the health center and their contribution to serving the Asian community - it is our mission. But this is not to say that we do not have hard days or trying times. When we do, it is these letters and notes that warm our hearts and lift our spirits.
From Ms. Lee
I am writing this letter of commendation on behalf of my mother...who is one of Dr. Lin-Yuh Jenny Lee's patients. In treating my mother, Dr. Lee has always exhibited an unparalleled level of patience and care, two attributes which are especially necessary when providing satisfactory medical treatment to geriatric patients. Dr. Lee always takes the time to ensure that all of my mother's questions are answered before she ends each visit. Under Dr. Lee's care, my mother has remained healthy, and even when sick, seems to make speedy recoveries because of Dr. Lee's extraordinary care. My mother cannot praise Dr. Lee enough for her professionalism, warmth, patience and sense of responsibility. It is our hope that Dr. Lee's exceptional performance does not go unrecognized.
Dr. Lee has been with South Cove for many years. She is a board certified internist specializing in geriatric care.
From Luo
I am a Chinese American and a patient of your health center. Over the years, the health center has dedicated itself to serving the Asian community, benefiting thousands; we all bear witness to that.
I would especially like to commend Mr. Johnny Chan of your Social Services Department. Mr. Chan serves patients with compassion, dedication, is always willing to go the extra mile and never too busy to answer questions. Mr. Chan also performs his job functions with both efficiency and proficiency, drawing praise from patients alike. He is a role model and sets an example with his devotion to helping patients.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for his great work.
[Translated into English from Chinese]
Johnny Chan has devoted himself to serving the Asian community here at South Cove. He helps patients with insurance and any other issues that may arise during their visits at the health center or at hospitals where our patients are sent. |
| Upcoming Event |
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South Cove's Stat Dragons Racing Again this Year! Commerating the tradition of ancient China and the great poet Qu Yuan, SC is participating again in this year's Boston Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is taking place on Sunday, 6/7/2009. Join the team or come cheer us on! Please contact Julie Chou at [email protected] if you are interested.
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Founded in 1972, South Cove is dedicated to improving the health and well being of the Asian Communities in Massachusetts with a special focus on the medically underserved by providing high quality, community-based health care that is accessible, culturally competent, and linguistically appropriate for these populations.
Services:
Adult Medicine (成人科) Bone Density (骨質篩檢) Ob/Gyn (婦科) Mammography (X光乳房攝影篩檢) Pediatrics (兒科) Dentistry (牙科) Optometry (眼科) Member Services (會員服務) Nutrition/WIC (營養科/奶卷) Family Planning (家庭計劃)
Early Intervention (幼兒培育組) Behavioral Health (行為健康科)
Brighton/Allston After-School Enrichment Program (課餘活動中心)
Clinic Locations:
885 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-482-7555
145 South Street, Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-521-6730
435 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171
Tel: 617-745-0280
Website:
http://www.scchc.org
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