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| Quarterly Newsletter |
June 2009 |
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Dear South Cove Staff, Patients, Board Members and Supporters:  Once again, in the healthcare industry, we must adjust to changes due to economic and social events. As I am writing this letter, we are faced with many uncertainties due to the economic conditions and the state cutting some $1.5 billion out of the 2009 budget. That means that there will be no increases in 2010, and we will be working with a budget that is less than 2009. I think we must all continue to fight for the items that we believe in and as difficult as it is, to support raising taxes; without some of these increases, the dream of healthcare for all will be devastated. As most people, who have been following the budget, realize that they have eliminated many grants under DPH, and supposedly combined these line items that cover MassHealth and the Connector. After saying this, the version of the Senate budget eliminated coverage for adult dental care; this would be something that would set us back to about 5 years ago when the only emergency dental care for adults were pulling their teeth. The other line item that really scares me is where you can be a legal immigrant, but not a citizen, and be eliminated for coverage. We truly will not know until there is a budget presented to the Governor on what cuts will be permanent. I personally believe this will be determined by what taxes are passed and what the Governor is willing to sign into law. Until then, I ask everyone to continue to do exactly what you are doing; seeing patients, providing services, and serving our community. As I have said before, we will keep our employees informed of any changes once we firmly know where we stand. Please do not listen to gossip. By working together, we will get through these problems and changes.
Sincerely
Eugene Welch
Executive Director |
| South Cove Held its Annual Corporation Meeting |
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 On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, South Cove held its Annual Corporation Meeting. The meeting serves two main purposes: 1. the Executive Director presents to the Board and Corporation members the health center's accomplishments in the past year and 2. to elect new officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Stephen Tang, the out-going Board President, welcomed everyone to the meeting and without further ado, handed it to Eugene.
Eugene's presentation included highlights of the achievements in the last 12 months:
- Moving mammography and bone density to the new space at 145 South Street from the 885 Washington Street location
- Purchasing 35 new parking spaces for our Quincy clinic
- Starting the process of adding electronic medical records to all departments at the health center
- Securing the Federal 330 grant for 3 more years through March 2012
- Starting the remodeling of the Washington Street facility to expand Adult Medicine and add examine rooms
Eugene also gave credit to our Social Services department at all locations for making sure that our patients could find healthcare coverage under the new "Commonwealth Care for All" program. The health center now boasts over 23,000 patients and sees 140,000 visits a year. Another program that has been a success since its inception is the 340B Pharmacy program. Thousands of our patients have been the beneficiary of this program, which makes prescription drugs accessible and affordable. As we look ahead, Eugene is pleased to announce the addition of two new doctors, one in Adult Medicine and the other in Pediatrics as of July 1, 2009. We realize that there are many challenges ahead but regardless of what is thrown our way, we will continue our mission of serving the underserved.
Eugene expressed his gratitude for the unfailing support from staff and the Board of Directors, without which, he said, it would not have been possible for the health center to be in the good shape that it is in today. The management, together with the Board, looks to steer the health center into an even brighter future.
Election of Board members and officers:
All Board members up for election this year have graciously agreed to volunteer their time and expertise to serve a new 3-year term on this Board.
The newly elected Board members were Stephen Tang; Elmer Leong; Cindy Chen; Kin Lau and Chi Ma.
The following new officers were elected:
President: Chi Ma
Secretary: Stephen Tang
Treasurer: Cindy Chen
A little bit about the new Board President:
Chi holds a background in engineering and finance but is no stranger to the Chinatown and South Cove community. In fact, Chi and South Cove go decades back when he was still a student volunteering at the health center. He also worked part-time in various capacities following his schooling. After devoting several years to his career, Chi was invited back to join the Board in 2007. In his speech as the newly elected Board President, Chi expressed his delight in reconnecting with the health center. Chi looks forward to contributing what he can to further the mission of the health center.
Please join us in welcoming and congratulating the newly elected Board members and officers. The health center looks forward to another strong year under Eugene's leadership with guidance from the Board of Directors. |
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Eugene Welch Honored at the Mass League Gala |
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 Our very own Eugene Welch was honored at this year's Massachusetts League of Community Health Center ("Mass League")Annual Awards Gala, which was held on Friday, June 5, 2009 at the Seaport Hotel. The theme of the gala was "Mission: Possible." In a joint letter, William J. Halpin, Jr., the Board Chair, and James W. Hunt, Jr., President & CEO, painted a picture of uncertainties and challenges facing the League and its member community health centers across Massachusetts. In a time of economic downturn and budget crises, the League called on its members, addressing them as agents, to "accept our mission no matter the challenge." and to turn the impossible into possible.
Several Awards were given out, among which was the "Outstanding Massachusetts Community Health Center Director" Award. The award recognizes "a remarkable individual as a leader who has made a considerable contribution to the community health center network." A short video was played during Eugene's award presentation. It depicted Eugene as a top agent that wears many different hats and uses the telephone as his primary weapon! It also featured segments by Eric Tiberi, COO of South Cove, Dr. Gail Lee, long-time South Cove Adult Medicine internist, Helen Chin Schlichte, Vice Chair, BIDMC Board of Directors, Danny Callahan, an electrician who has worked on construction projects at South Cove, and Dr. Stephen Tang, South Cove Board President. Each one of them had different things to say but there was no dispute in Eugene being not only a great leader but also a great human being with a big heart. Eugene felt honored and humbled by the award and vowed to work harder to advocate for community health centers and healthcare in the Asian community. 
Among the other honorees were Horace Shearer, Lab Director of Mattapan Community Health Center and Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, recipient of the most prestigious honor: the Founder's Award; Mary Virginia Curtis, Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, and Elizabeth Swanton, Manet Community Health Center, recipients of the Joseph M. Smith Consumer Award; Barbara Gottlieb of the Brookside Community Health Center, recipient of the Outstanding Massachusetts Community Health Center Physician Award. Last but not least, Lionel Bazile of Dimock Community Health Center, Lynne Faust of Lowell Community Health Center, and Oanh Nguyen of Family Health Center of Worcester, recipients of the Outstanding Massachusetts Community Health Center Employee Award.
As a proud agent, South Cove salutes the League for all its wonderful work advocating for and putting community health centers on the map. Congratulations to our own Eugene Welch and his fellow honorees. South Cove is honored to be among a league of talented and persevering agents to continue the Mission: Possible battle!
For more pictures of Eugene receiving the award and the League's Annual Awards Gala, please visit South Cove website:
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| South Cove Interpreters Working Hard at BIDMC |
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Most people see their healthcare providers and have no problem communicating their concerns or problems, this, however, does not always come easy for our patients. Due to language and/or cultural barriers, our patients need the assistance of a medical interpreter to help them navigate the hospital system in the US. South Cove is affiliated with BIDMC and sends referrals to the hospital for further follow up or specialty consultation. Most of the patients referred have limited English language skills and do not feel comfortable or able to complete their appointment without help. This is where our group of dedicated interpreters comes in. South Cove, with the support of BIDMC, has an Interpreter Department headed by Janice Chung stationed at BIDMC. What started out as a small group of less than half-a-dozen people has grown steadily over the years with now 11 full-time and 2 part-time interpreters serving the Asian population, and we may still expand!
 Our interpreters are divided into two groups: Chinese and Vietnamese. Interpretation in Chinese includes Mandarin, Cantonese and Toisanese. At BIDMC, Chinese is now second behind Spanish in terms of interpreter appointment requests, followed by Russian to round off the top 3. Chinese language requests account for 21.7% of all appointments where interpretation service was utilized (data made available from BIDMC) and Vietnamese, also serviced by our interpreters, accounts for 2%. South Cove interpreters are trained and have successfully passed the required proficiency test administrated at the hospital, which is a pre-requisite for employment. According to Janice, 98% of all requests that come her way are handled by her interpreters and rarely do they need to utilize the AT&T translation service.
A chat with Janice sheds light on just how busy the South Cove interpreters are on any given work day. Once an interpreter's day starts, there is usually no break or rest until early afternoon or even later. They run (sometimes literally!) from one appointment to the next, navigating between different buildings trying to provide the best service possible. An interpreter spends anywhere between 35 - 50 minutes with a patient each appointment. They are present from beginning to end: they meet patients on arrival at the lobby, help out with registration, check-in, wait with them, accompany them to see the doctor, and finally, assist in scheduling follow-up appointments. The interpreter has to try his/her best to manage this entire process in ideally less than 50 minutes or 60 minutes max, the amount of time allocated for one appointment and BE at the next appointment (BIDMC has a sizable campus, it could be time-consuming traveling from one point to the next). All interpreters work on extremely tight schedule and knowing how to effectively manage time is essential, which perhaps is one of the bigger challenges faced by Janice and her staff.
The conversation also reveals that possessing the language skills and the medical knowledge to interpret are among the simpler of their tasks. Interpreters do come across medical terms with which they have difficulty translating, even so, their professional medical knowledge would, more often than not, suffice in describing them in laymen's terms. The more difficult task is providing adequate emotional support to patients at appropriate times, which only comes with experience. Interpreters do not want to come off as either too business-like or overly involved. The former may make patients feel a lack of compassion, the latter could be viewed as intrusive to some. South Cove is blessed to have a department of very competent interpreters striving daily to ensure the needs of our patients, both medical and emotional, are met at the hospital. It is not an easy job but it does come with rewards. That happens when their efforts are recognized and appreciated. Janice receives positive feedback periodically from providers and patients. A more recent one was from a neurology resident.
Dear Ms. Chung,
I just wanted to pass on a bit of feedback on one of your interpreters, Dilys Chan. I have seen several neurology patients with her and she has always done an excellent job interpreting difficult concepts and issues... thank you for providing such good interpreters.
Interpreter service is an important service that we provide in an effort to give all South Cove patients the complete experience. Besides the quality of our staff and medical services, patients come to our health center because they can receive these services in a culturally competent and language appropriate manner. We do our best to extend that delivery of care outside of our facility. We want our patients to enjoy the comfort and peace of mind in dealing with someone who speaks the language and understands the culture when they go to BIDMC.
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| Christine Wong Retirement Party |
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There is a Chinese saying that goes "No banquet lasts forever (天下沒有不散的宴席)". The saying holds true in many aspects of one's life. Though it may be sad to say good-bye, the end of one event often means the beginning of another, which is cause for joy and celebration. It is with this in mind that we bid farewell to Christine Wong who has retired from her position at South Cove. It is sad to see her go but at the same time, we are excited for her as she opens a new chapter in life.
Christine Wong has a special place in South Cove's history; she is one of the few that has been with the health center for over 30 years. Since 1978, Christine has served the Asian community and patients diligently in different capacities, most recently as the Prenatal Health Educator in the Ob/Gyn department. Many of South Cove's expectant- and first-time mothers have benefitted from the bi-weekly classes that Christine runs covering broad range of topics and issues pertaining to soon-to-be moms. Dr. Lucy Chie in the Ob/Gyn department had nothing but praise for Christine, stating that she "demonstrated the utmost compassion and care for all the patients she encountered during her 30 plus years at South Cove. With her smile and gentle, persistent nature, she helped guide women through their pregnancies. She devoted countless hours especially to assisting in the coordination of care of patients with difficult social circumstances. Christine never stopped encouraging and empowering women to care for themselves and their families. Her tireless efforts and dedication to our women's health department has been nothing but exceptional." She went on to say that Christine "will be sorely missed," echoing the sentiment of the staff and patients alike.  The retirement party took place on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at the Hei La Moon Restaurant in Chinatown. It was attended by close to 100 people including staff and guests of Christine. Everyone was treated to a delicious 10-course meal. Towards the end of the meal Eugene took the stage and gave a brief but heart felt speech. The second highlight of the party was when Marty Hackett, a long-time colleague of Christine, presented a gift of a gold cross to her. Marty, also a South Cove long-timer, reminisced how things were in the past and how far Christine, the health center and herself have all come. It was a trip down memory lane with pride and joy. Highlights of Marty's speech: When I came to South Cove, you were already working here and known in the community as someone willing to help anyone get the care they needed. Soon you moved to OB/GYN as a nursing assistant helping care for and teach patients to care for themselves. As your knowledge of obstetrics grew, you studied and asked questions and learned what you needed to know to become our childbirth educator... You have shared with so many the joys of their new babies and have cried and been such a strong support to mothers who lost their babies. You have been a good friend to all of us, your co-workers.
Christine thanked Marty for the wonderful speech. She then took the stage and spoke from the bottom of her heart about how it all started for her. She stressed that the success of South Cove today is the accumulation of decades of teamwork by every department and every staff member. The health center could not and cannot function without great teamwork.
It was an event to remember, concluded by the rolling out of a huge sheet cake as the finishing sweet touch! Eugene on behalf of the health center and its staff wished Christine all the best and reiterated that South Cove would always be her extended family whose door will be open for her. Just like the saying, in both the metaphoric and literal sense, the party, as much as people would like to linger, had to come to an end too. Staff and guests said good-bye to Christine and sent her off to a life with more quality time with family members.
Soon after retiring, Christine went on a trip to Asia making her first stop in Hawaii. She hasn't forgotten about South Cove and sent us a postcard from Hawaii. In it, she expressed her sincere thanks to Eugene and South Cove for the support over the years and for the great retirement party thrown in her honor. We miss you already, Christine! |
| Principal Lee Retiring from Josiah Quincy School |
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| Eugene Welch on behalf of South Cove extends well wishes to Suzanne Lee, the long-time principal of the Josiah Quincy Elementary School, who is retiring from her post. South Cove and the School have enjoyed a good partnership. Our clinic in Chinatown at 885 Washington Street is located inside the school building and the two agencies have collaborated on a few projects over the years, one of which is the nutrition education classes.
South Cove's Dr. Roland Tang in the Pediatrics department has been holding weekly nutrition sessions to second-graders since 2003. This is part of our outreach efforts to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. According to Dr. Tang, the class reaches out to over 120 students every year. He works closely with the teacher to provide, hands on, fun educational activities to teach children how to eat healthy and stay physically active. He has received many positive comments from parents, who say that their children go shopping with them, read the nutritional labels on foods, and tell the parents not to buy things if they are not healthy. Dr. Tang and the school deserve the credit for the well-run program. In addition to this class, we also participate in their annual health fair.
We wish Suzanne Lee all the best. Though she is leaving her post at the school, she is committed to continuing her involvement with the community. We look forward to future opportunities to work together again. |
| BASE Students Receiving Scholarships |
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Last year our BASE (Allston/Brighton After-School Enrichment) program was the deserving recipient of a very generous donation from the George and Victoria Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by Nick and Eva Chau of Tai Tung Pharmacy in memory of Mr. Chau's grandparents.
On behalf of Eugene and Madeline, head of the BASE program, we are pleased to award four past and present BASE students with a $250 scholarship from the fund. And thanks to the generosity of Eugene, South Cove will match this for a total of $500 per recipient.
A little bit about each recipient and, in their own words, how BASE has helped them:
- Angela Cao is going to Boston University to major in biology and her plan does not stop there; she has her eyes set on Criminal Justice for graduate studies. "To me, B.A.S.E. is not just another after
 school program, but it is the place where I spent more than half my life, and the lessons I learned there will help me in years to come, for I didn't just learn how to answer open response questions or do intricate math problems, but I learned how to become a better person as well."
- MeiXia Lin aspires to be a pharmacist and will be a freshmen at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences this fall. "The BASE teachers played significant roles in my life, and I believe that I am who I am and where I am today because of them. And apart from helping me improve academically, BASE also helped me improve as a person. I want to inspire that type of hope in others, help them and perhaps even change their lives, similar to how BASE has changed mine."
- Ronny (Ri Neng) Huang graduated high school in June and will be attending University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
- Brian Szeto is a student at Trinity College majoring
 in East Asian studies with a minor in Chinese. "I have been at B.A.S.E. since the first grade. As a kid I always complained about having to go there after school and during the summers. However, now I appreciate the fact that I did go there. After I stopped going there I went back and started to volunteer there during the ninth grade. Due to my time there as volunteer I have started to think about teaching as a career as well."
We congratulate Angela, MeiXia, Ronny and Brian on their achievements thus far and wish them all the success in their future endeavors. Also, we thank Madeline and her staff, for making a difference in the lives of so many. |
| WIC/Nutrition Staff Trained on Domestic Violence |
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 South Cove's WIC/Nutrition staff received training on Domestic Violence on Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Ms. Qingjian Shi, Interim Director of Education and Outreach from the Asian Task Force against Domestic Violence, was the presenter. The 3-hour session titled "Domestic Violence in Asian American Communities" covered topics ranging from what domestic violence is to how to better screen for DV victims and be more proactive as healthcare providers.
The presentation started with an overview of domestic violence, what it is and its legal definitions before shifting to focus on the Asian Pacific Islander American ("APIA")community. There are some myths surrounding domestic violence in the APIA community and Ms. Shi spent some time exploring and debunking them. A common misconception is that such an act is widely accepted in the APIA community and that the Asian culture is a breeding ground for domestic violence. Surveys show that it is not true; overall, Asian men and women do not support family violence. However, it is true that when domestic violence occurs, that these victims have fewer resources due to cultural, language and financial barriers. A video was shown featuring interviews of Asian immigrant DV victims to shed light on how their situations/circumstances are different from that of the mainstream DV victims. The challenge lies in reaching out to them and letting them know that there is help. South Cove deals with the Asian immigrant community and due to various reasons, those abused often refrain from seeking help. All healthcare providers are mandated to report any possible cases of abuse. Our WIC/Nutrition department is required to ask patients a series of questions during in-take and report the results on a regular basis. Among the questions is "do you feel safe?" This question may be intrusive to some and often take patients aback. As a result, patients are far less likely to be forthcoming. It is important that when asking this question, the provider stresses that it is a standard question that is asked of all patients so that they do not feel being unfairly targeted. Other very important components in dealing with possible victims of domestic violence include gaining trust, making the setting comfortable and caring so that the clients would feel safe to divulge information.
Throughout the session, there were activities where participants would have the opportunity to share with one another what they know about DV and ask questions. Participants in the seminar learned very helpful tips on how to identify warning signs of abuse. They also gained knowledge on what constitutes as abusive behavior, how to better provide support to possible victims and the resources available to them.
Peggy Leung, Director of WIC/Nutrition at South Cove, hopes that having gone through this training, her department is now better equipped to reach out to those who may be abused and offer help. Margaret Ip, one of the participants in the workshop found it very informative and felt it that it was a good training for everyone.
To find out more about the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK), please visit their website at http://www.atask.org |
| Mammography and Bone Density's New Home |
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 South Cove's new Imaging Center at 145 South Street opened its doors to patients in March after months of planning and remodeling and it is now the new home for both the Mammography and the Bone Density Departments. The Mammography department is equipped with the newest digital mammography equipment and has a more spacious private changing room for the patients. The bone mineral density equipment was relocated to the Center from the Washington Street clinic. The Center has one central receptionist to register patients for their appointments and to assist patients with interpreter services as needed.
Mary Jo Majors, Director of Clinical Operations and a BMD technician, and Judy Su, Nurse Practitioner in the Mammography Department, are both very pleased with the new location. They have heard many patients express their pleasure and gratitude to South Cove for having such a convenient, beautiful Center for them to come to in Boston for these special procedures. The patients appreciate the ease at check-in, the quiet environment and available onsite interpreter services as needed for their exams. The Mammography Department is open from Monday to Friday and the Bone Density Department is open on Tuesday and Wednesday every week. (Patient appointments for these services continue to be made for the patients by the clinical department secretaries at both the Washington Street and Quincy clinics.)
Update on the Washington Street clinic construction: construction is underway and we expect a completion date of late August. The new and improved space will feature 6 additional examine rooms, a new lab, and a new phlebotomy area. It will also include reconfigured intake rooms and Adult Medicine area. Once the major construction is over, the entire facility will be re-painted, plastered and tiled. As one can imagine, we are going through a chaotic phase as we try to accommodate the construction and still maintain our normal volume. We look forward to unveiling the new face of the clinic. In the meantime, we thank both the staff and patients for bearing with us and pardoning the not-so-impressive appearance. |
| South Cove Stat Dragons Race to the Finish Line! |
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Dragon Boat Festival commemorates China's great poet Qu Yuan when he sacrificed his life for the country by jumping into a river. People mourned his death and to preserve his body, they threw rice wrapped in reed leaves into the river to feed fishes so they would stay away from Yuan's body. For more history, please visit the official Boston Dragon Boat Festival website: http://www.bostondragonboat.org/about_legend.html
Boston's Dragon Boat Festival is the longest running dragon boat festival in North America and this year marks its 30th anniversary. South Cove was a participant in the first race and has entered a team every year since 2004.
With participation from staff members, friends, fellow community agencies, we geared up again this year in the hopes of shattering last year's record and taking another crack at the medal. The festival was held on Sunday, June 7, 2009. The weather could not be more perfect for the occasion: temperature in the seventies with plenty of sun and breeze to make for a perfect outdoor day. Under the leadership of veteran Kenny Lee a.k.a Captain Lee, master steers person Harry Lee and newcomer Helen Quach as the drummer, South Cove was all pumped up to showcase Team Stat Dragons! The team had a total of four races, the first was against our fellow healthcare organizations: Cambridge Asian Health Alliance and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. The other three were divisional races. We lost the first divisional race but came up atop in the second, which secured us a spot in the Division E "Major" final. In the final race, we were up against two veteran dragon boating participants: VeRising Dragons and Brimmer & May; we had our work cut out for us. At the sound of the horn, Stat Dragons jumped off to a great start pulling away from the two other teams. Despite the big push by the VeRising Dragons, who were inching in ever so close to the Stat Dragons in the last 100 yards, we were able to hold them off and claim the victory with a time of 2:51.53! We think that is pretty impressive for a recreational team that had only 3 short weeks to practice! Though we left without a medal, we did leave with our chins up high coming away victorious in our respective division. We may not (yet) have the technique or the stamina to match the club teams, we certainly had the spirits and the competitiveness, which are common traits among all great sports teams!
Thanks to all that participated and made up the team "Stat Dragons 2009:su-PAH fast!" Mari, Janelle, Jennifer, Harry C, Willis, Chen Ying, Harry L, Kenny, Pamela, Sarah, Tom, Catherine, Mike, Olivia, Helen, Dave, Roeun, Thuy, Greg, Jason and Ken.
Thanks to Mary Jo and Julie for the gold team shirts and caps that made us "golden!"
Thanks to the South Cove Stat Dragons cheerleading squad: you know who you are!
Last but not least, thanks to Eugene our big boss for making this financially possible.
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| 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.
Names have been changed to maintain the confidentiality of our patients/clients.
Dear Mr. Eugene Welch
I am Ang-Yi Qun and I am the mother of Li-Hon Yang who is taking the after school program at BASE. I am writing this letter to express my sincere appreciation to BASE, especially to Mrs. Madeline Wan. I cannot imagine how my son would have been able to catch up in school and social life in America without their help.
My son, Li-Hon Yang, came to America in August 2007 when he was five years old. At that time, he was a shy boy who did not know any English, so he could not understand what the teacher said in the class at Josiah Quincy Elementary School in K-2. He was scared and felt uncomfortable because of the new environment and life. In short, he was falling behind in every sense in life.
In April 2008, I brought him to attend BASE's after-school program. I explained my son's situation and problems to Mrs. Wan. Until today, I still remember the conversation with her. "Do not worry about it. This is the common case in our program, and we have a lot of experience to help your son to bridge the gap and get used to an American life," she said. "I will design a special program for your son to develop his abilities in language, interaction and social life."
During this year, I can see my son's progress step by step, and now he has become a confident boy and has caught up with peers in school and in social life. Furthermore, he can finish his homework by himself now. He likes playing with other children and he can also express his feelings and needs in simple sentences.
All I mentioned above is my son story. I want to say "THANK YOU SO MUCH" to BASE, Mrs. Wan, and all the teachers involved in this program for the greatest help to my son.
Ang-Yi Qun
Besides the clinical operations, South Cove also runs an after-school program called Allston/Brighton After-School Enrichment Program ("BASE"). Madeline Wan, the Director of BASE, has been with the program for almost 30 years. The mission of the program is to reach out and help those that are new to the country and the culture, so they assimilate and make a smooth transition both academically and socially. The program is so well-run that for years we have needed to keep a waiting list because there are only so many slots available and yet the demand is far greater than that. Ms. Wan and her staff do what they can to the best of their abilities to offer individualized help to these children one at a time.
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Dear Frances,
Thank you thank you thank you so much for your assistance in helping me apply for MassHealth! I cannot find the words to sufficiently express my gratitude.
I am a retired 64 year old woman who came to visit my daughter in the United States. A few weeks ago, unfortunately, I suffered a condition, which required an emergency surgery. Although the surgery went well and I am grateful to have my health, the medical bills have been mounting and are prohibitively high. Having no income and no savings I was desperate to seek help.
Then, you, like an angel, helped me and saved me from my desperate situation. I have few contacts in this foreign country and don't know any English. You have such a good heart and are so good at your job to have helped me fill in the form and gather the required documents to submit to MassHealth. With your help and follow up, the application has now been approved! I could not have done this without your help and hard work. I will always remember your great kindness, selflessness, willingness, and efficiency in helping me out of my difficult situation.
I am so grateful to you. As a Chinese, I am very proud of you. Thank you thank you thank you! God bless you!
Wanji Dong
Frances Ma is the head of the Social Services department at the Washington Street clinic. She and her staff work tirelessly to help the uninsured apply for state and/or federal benefits for which they may be eligible. Without this department, the health center would not be as successful as it is today. Mr. Dong is one of the thousands that has secured coverage through this service.
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To the leader of South Cove Community Health Center:
We are elderly, new immigrants in the US. Not being able to speak English has caused many inconveniences in our daily life especially when it comes to medical needs. Our children are busy with work and do not have time to accompany us to our appointments, which has given us much headache. Luckily, a friend from church referred us to Dr. Lin-Yuh Lee at South cove Community Health Center.
Dr. Lee did our physical thoroughly, explained to us in detail the treatment options. Having seen her gave us both the peace of mind knowing that we have found ourselves a great, caring doctor. However, around the same time, a neighbor who works at MGH as an interpreter strongly recommended that we transfer to a doctor based at MGH because of its state-of-the-art facilities, the abundance of resources and the exceptional group of doctors working there. At her insistence, we scheduled an appointment at MGH neurology only to find out that the interpreter service is only provided at the MGH clinics, not at the hospital level. The second time we tried to see a doctor over there, the interpreter happened to be off and was unable to schedule an appointment for us. Due to the language barrier, we felt helpless and regretted deeply having transferred out of South Cove. After much pondering we decided to go back to Dr. Lee at South Cove. She listened to our ordeal and told us, "I understand, I am still your doctor." Our hearts were instantly filled with warmth and gratitude when Dr. Lee told us that she would still be our doctor. She also took the time to ask about our health and if anything has changed since we last saw her. A few days ago, she placed a call herself reminding us to schedule an appointment for check-up. Dr. Lee is an exceptional doctor in her professional skills and moral responsibility, she is the kind of doctor that deserves to be commanded and respected.
We cannot be more pleased with Dr. Lee and give her our thumbs up. We express our sincere thanks to Dr. Lee for her care and compassion to patients and to you for your great leadership.
Cai and Mei
(Letter translated into English)
Dr. Jenny Lin-Yun Lee is a Board certified internist specializing in geriatric care. She has been with the health center for many years and is devoted to caring for South Cove's geriatric patients. | |
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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