Local Doctor Brings Hope, Preventive Care To Women In Need Through Free Cervical And Breast Cancer Screening Program At Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Care Clinic On August 18

NORTHFIELD, Ill., Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A free See, Test & Treat® cervical and breast cancer screening program will be held at the Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Care Clinic, on August 18, 2012, located at 7761 Garden Grove Blvd., in Garden Grove, Calif. The program is organized by California pathologist, Si Van Nguyen, MD, FCAP, sponsored by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and funded with grants from its philanthropic arm, the CAP Foundation.

Born in Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen understands all too well why cervical cancer incidence among Vietnamese women, whether living in Vietnam or the United States, is four times that of the general population.

"Among women who immigrate to the United States from Vietnam, a culturally driven reluctance to be screened for cervical cancer is common," Dr. Nguyen explained.

It's a dynamic he is working hard to change.

With a team of volunteer pathologists, gynecologists, radiologists and clinicians, Dr. Nguyen will lead California's first See, Test & Treat same-day health screening.

Through See, Test & Treat, a growing number of underserved women are gaining culturally sensitive access to free preventive care, including Pap tests and mammography, with results and follow-up consults delivered the same day.  Tailored to the needs of each targeted community, the program typically includes translation services, multilingual patient outreach and education materials, even transportation and childcare services.  This patient-centered, coordinated approach helps ensure that underserved women gain the early detection advantage and life-saving services that pathologists provide.

The non-profit Nhan Hoa Clinic is an ideal host for See, Test & Treat. The clinic began in 1992, as a simple 300 square-foot office with four volunteer physicians. Today, in a newly renovated 12,000 square foot medical facility, Nhan Hoa's staff of more than 40 clinicians serves a diverse, largely immigrant population. Only two percent of its patients have medical insurance.

Strength in Numbers

Dr. Nguyen is recruiting and coordinating an equally diverse clinical team to support the event.

"I actually had to turn volunteers away," he said. "The response has been amazing, almost as amazing as the clinic itself. Nhan Hoa is so well-managed, so firmly established in the community, that I'm optimistic we'll reach our goal of delivering 200 Pap tests during the event."

The growing list of See, Test & Treat volunteers includes Nhan Hoa Medical Director Gina Nguyen, MD, and local gynecologist, Dr. Anh Nguyet as well as pathologists in Dr. Si Nguyen's private practice: Diane Tam Singer, MD, FCAP, Eric Glassy, MD, FCAP, Banafsheh Rashidi, MD, FCAP, Nathash Kallichanda, MD, Alessandro DeVito, MD, FCAP, and Al Lui, MD, FCAP.

Serving in shifts, the pathologists will be a valued resource throughout the day, which includes a full health fair where volunteer nurses, medical technologists, cytotechnologists, and administrators will also offer free vision, blood glucose, and hypertension and cholesterol screenings. 

Hologic, Inc., Bedford, Mass., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products, will serve as a main sponsor providing the ThinPrep^® Pap test kits and a loaner processor. CooperSurgical, headquartered in Trumbull, Conn., develops, manufactures and markets medical devices; diagnostic products and surgical instruments and accessories for the care and treatment of women will serve as a sponsor by providing KH1000 LEEP workstation disposable products and accessories. Nearby Precision Diagnostics Laboratory will donate Pap test processing through the services of John Hiserodt, MD, and an additional 15 vendors plan to exhibit and support the health fair.

Delivering 200 cervical cancer screenings in a day isn't Dr. Nguyen's only See, Test & Treat goal. He also hopes to inspire pathologists across the United States to lead programs in underserved communities.

Notes of Harmony and Hope

Translated from Vietnamese, Nhan Hoa means "harmony among the people."  The clinic's mission: "to provide cost-effective, family-based health services to people who may not otherwise have access to them due to financial, language, cultural, lifestyle, or psychological barriers, regardless of ability to pay."

Clearly, it's a mission that the CAP Foundation shares.

"We love to work with other groups, locally, and nationally," Dr. Nguyen said. "Organizations such as the CAP Foundation are critical because they spur others to come together to help."

The CAP Foundation makes grants of up to $25,000 available for each See, Test & Treat program site.

"With the grant we received from the CAP Foundation, Nhan Hoa will be able to treat patients in the early stages of cervical cancer," said Dr. Gina Nguyen. "We were not able to do that before."

With each program, the women served find value beyond essential preventive care. Women treated through See, Test & Treat discover a compassionate, convenient, community clinic — a medical home.

About the College of American Pathologists and CAP Foundation

The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the gold standard in laboratory accreditation for 50 years, is a medical society serving more than 18,000 physician members and the global laboratory community. It is the world's largest association composed exclusively of board-certified pathologists and is the worldwide leader in laboratory quality assurance. The College advocates accountable, high-quality, and cost-effective patient care.

The CAP Foundation, its philanthropic arm, supports patient-centered and humanitarian initiatives lead by pathologists, striving to connect people in underserved communities with the specialized skills of pathologists. 

About Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Care Clinic

Translated from Vietnamese, Nhan Hoa means "harmony among the people."  The clinic's mission: "to provide cost-effective, family-based health services to people who may not otherwise have access to them due to financial, language, cultural, lifestyle, or psychological barriers, regardless of ability to pay."

The Nhan Hoa Clinic is a non-profit clinic that was founded in 1992 as a simple 300 square-foot office with four volunteer physicians. Today, in a newly renovated 12,000 square foot medical facility, Nhan Hoa's staff of more than 40 clinicians serves a diverse, largely immigrant population. Only 2% of its patients have medical insurance.

SOURCE College of American Pathologists Foundation