How UCSF is Building a Healthier Bay Area through its Asian Health Institute

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- ABC7 is committed to Building A Better Bay Area and focusing on healthcare programs and solutions is how we can help bridge communities.

We are taking a closer look at how UCSF is Building a Healthier Bay Area through its Asian Health Institute.

In the Bay Area, we have a large Asian American community, and almost half of them are immigrants from other countries with language barriers. So that puts the Asian Health Institute in a unique spot where it can help the community and make the Bay Area a better place for them.

"The Asian Health Institute at UCSF is a comprehensive program that provides education, advocacy and linkage to care amongst different specialties," said Dr. Elizabeth Zheng, M.D..

"Patients are, have been more willing to accept some of our recommendations and it's led to more referrals. And I think it's a great opportunity to reach this population that's been underserved," said Dr. Zian H. Tseng, M.D., MAS.

Just like other minority groups, these disparities are different because of the different lifestyle issues, different genetics and cultural practices some Asians may have less awareness of certain illnesses, less screening practices have some level of medication non-compliance, and also may have difficulty accessing healthcare.

Visit here for more information about UCSF's Asian Health Institute.