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EHI Accomplishments

The Ethnic Health Institute's (EHI) mission is to promote the health and well being of our community, with a focus on underserved and minority populations. EHI is based on a four-prong approach: Community awareness, Alliances and community outreach, Research, and Education of health professionals and the community.

Asthma Initiative
Cancer Initiatives
Diabetes Initiative
Hypertension Initiative
Media Activities

Asthma Initiative

October 3, 1998 - Sponsored a daylong Asthma Camp for at-risk youth and their families to learn how to cope with asthma. Focused on Latino children. Twenty inner city children (ages 5 - 12), fifteen caregivers and ten asthmatic teen counselors participated. Co-sponsors included: Alameda Alliance for Health, Alameda County Health Care Services, American Lung Association, Blue Cross Medical, Children's Hospital Oakland, Community Health Academy, and Regional Asthma Management Prevention Initiative. Schering Pharmaceuticals, Merck and Company, Astra Pharmaceuticals and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals donated funds.
April 17, 1999 - Sponsored second daylong Asthma Camp focused on African American youth and their caregivers. More than 35 youth and adults participated.
Developed a 30 second public service announcement in English and Spanish that aired on KTVU Channel 2 and cable TV.
June 1999 - Developed partnership with Starbright Foundation, based in Los Angeles, to assist them in developing an educational campaign for teens to learn about asthma. Teen counselors participate in focus groups to assist them in developing an effective media campaign.
July 10, 1999 - Partnered with Glaxo Wellcome to take teens and their parents to meet Jackie Joyner Kersee, who has asthma, at a daylong educational asthma event at Stanford.
February 2001 – Created "Needs Assessment" survey for the Oakland Unified School District.
March 2001 – Developed Asthma Resource Guide for Alameda County.
April 2001 – Hosted Community Asthma Forum, inviting over 70 asthma and healthcare providers to collaborate on various projects in the greater Alameda County area.
May 2001 - Project Life Breath.
June 2001 - Provide Asthma training in schools to nurses coaches and teachers. Project Life Breath
July 2001 – American Lung Association’s Asthma Day Camp; continue with Asthma Resource Guide. Asthma Community Forum Subcommittees meet as a follow up to the April forum.
August 2001 – Recruited teens and students in Oakland’s Fruitvale District to provide asthma training. Provide Asthma training to Oakland Unified School District nurses and EMT’s.
September 2001 – Second Asthma Community Forum.
October - December 2001 – Project Life Breath.

Cancer Initiatives

To gain awareness around cancer, we have implemented outreach activities in partnership with the Health Access/LifeSpan Program, American Cancer Society, Markstein Cancer Education and Prevention Center, the Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Program, Northern CA Cancer Center, Oakland Raiders, Oakland A’s, Summit Community Health Education Advisory Board, KPFA Radio Station, KTVU Channel 2, and Soul Beat.

April – September 1997 – Give away of sun cancer screening kits through the Oakland A’s Radio program.
September 1997 – Kick Off Event/Free public educational forum with authors Lisa Hunter and Glenna Halvorson-Boyd of Dancing in Limbo, Making Sense of Life After Cancer.
September – December 1997 – Business partnership with The Men’s Wearhouse offering breast self-exam classes and educational lectures.
Week of September 22, 1997 – Free Prostate Cancer Screenings with Markstein Cancer Education and Prevention Center.
September and October 1997 – Prostate Cancer Awareness. KTVU Channel 2 aired cancer PSA with George Foreman for American Cancer Society and Summit.
Cancer awareness ad with Vince Evans and George Seifert in Raiders’ game day program throughout the 1997 season.
Sunday, October 19, 1997 – Day of Cancer Education at First Presbyterian Church in Oakland. First of a series of congregational health workshops.
Month of October – educational lectures on breast cancer at Summit Health ministry churches.
Anti-Tobacco Education – November 1997 – In recognition of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout (GAS) held on November 20, 1997, EHI co-sponsored two projects:
1. An educational poster contest at Bella Vista and Hoover elementary schools. Students discussed what smoking can do to your health and submitted drawings. Winners in each grade level received awards.
2. On November 20, educational tables were set up at Summit to highlight why smoking is harmful to your health and how to stop.
February 1998 – Displayed "African-American Women Breast Cancer Survivors" Quilt at Summit North Pavilion in honor of Black History Month. Hosted a press conference with California First Lady Gayle Wilson to bring a focus to the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program.
Mark McGwire PSA – Summit, CapCURE and the Oakland A’s co-sponsored a public service announcement about Mark McGwire and his father discussing prostate cancer and the need for regular screenings.
June 11, 1998 - The second health symposium in the Healthy Lifestyles series was held. World-renowned speakers presented an overview of prostate cancer, its treatment methods, and how lifestyle and diet can impact prostate cancer.
June 13, 1998 - CapCURE Day was held at the Oakland Coliseum where Health Access, EHI and the American Cancer Society staffed an educational table and provided free blood pressure screenings.
EHI Prostate Cancer campaign with Jason Giambi – EHI, with funding from Secure Horizons/Pacificare, developed 30 second and 60 second public service announcements regarding prostate cancer with Jason Giambi and Dr. Mike LeNoir. The PSA has been aired on KTVU Channel 2 and cable TV.
September 1998 - Offered free prostate cancer screenings with the Markstein Cancer center and Summit’s Department of Urology.
October 13, 1998 - Presented Football 101, an educational session on football which was a fundraiser with the Oakland Raiders. Close to $11,000 was raised for breast cancer treatment for low income women, and overall awareness of breast cancer was increased.
Worked with Dr. Dean Ornish's Preventive Medicine Research Institute to promote awareness of prostate cancer clinical trials. Assisted in helping to identify appropriate candidates.
November 20, 1998 - Sponsored Great American Smokeout Day at Summit. Over 300 patients, visitors and employees visited information tables sponsored by EHI, American Cancer Society, Glaxo Wellcome, SmithKline Beecham, Cancer Information Center and Markstein Cancer Center.
January through December 2001 – EHI Prostate Cancer project providing ongoing support and consultation. Review Prostate Cancer literature.
February 2001 – Create new EHI Cancer Brochure.
April 2001 – Outreach to licensed day care workers.
August 2001 – Colorectal Symposium for Chinese speakers at the Asian Cultural Center.
September 2001 –Collaborate with the Tumor Board for a Clinical Education Symposium on Prostate Cancer. Breast Cancer "Tell a Friend". Outreach to licensed day care workers. Prostate Cancer screening collaboration with the Markstein Cancer Center.
October 2001 – Football 101 with the Oakland Raiders. Cancer Community Summit.
November 2001 – Great American Smokeout.

Diabetes Initiative

Nov 98 - Diabetes Awareness Month - held screenings in Alameda congregations.
Nov 2000 – Diabetes screenings.
April 2001 – Create EHI Diabetes brochure.
August 2001 – Diabetes video in Chinese.
October 2001 – Diabetes Provider Forum.
November 2001 – Physicians symposium and Dr. Archer’s lecture; Diabetes screening; Community Diabetes Forum with Dr. Archer. Additional Diabetes screening in conjunction with the Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Program.

Hypertension Initiative

Developed Wellness Guide on Hypertension with UC Berkeley.
Developed hypertension brochures in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Distributed to churches, community organizations, senior centers, health organizations and at community health events.
Developed public service announcement for radio and TV. Has aired on KTVU Channel 2 and cable TV during National Heart Month in February.
Sponsored first in a series of Healthy Lifestyle symposiums in October 1997 focusing on hypertension with national speakers on treatment and complementary medicine. Held in memory of Dr. Carlos Sledge with more than 80 attendees including physicians, nurses and health professionals. Co-sponsors included: CA Nurses' Association, American Heart Assn., Bay Area Black Consortium, Parke Davis, Sinkler Miller Medical Association.
February, 1997 - Black History Month presentation to Veteran's Assn. to highlight African Americans in medicine
June 1997 - Co-sponsor of community health fair at Bella Vista Elementary School.
Health Awareness Day, February 1997 and 1998. Summit Medical Center co-sponsored an annual Health Awareness Day, in recognition of Black History and American Heart Month with the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Summit Health Access, Summit Ethnic Health Institute, Health Ministry, American Diabetes Association, the Blood Bank, Sinkler Miller Medical Association, and the ACCMA. Blood pressure and diabetes screenings were held at congregations in Oakland and Berkeley. In preparation for these screenings, EHI presented a blood pressure screening orientation with Bessanderson McNeil, attended by nurses from the community and local churches.
Initiated two monthly hypertension support groups facilitated by Bessanderson McNeil.
Continued monthly hypertension support groups in 2000. Pads with the free workshops monthly. Schedule distributed to Alta Bates Summit physicians.
February 2000 – Sponsored high blood pressure screenings for Black History Month.
November 2000 – Conducted Train the Trainer workshops.
January through December 2001 – Patient Education Workshops on hypertension held monthly.
January 2001 – Train the Trainer workshop.
February 2001 – Hypertension screening.
May 2001 – Bessanderson McNeil made a hypertension presentation to the EHI Advisory Board.
September 2001 – Hypertension Provider Forum.
October 2001 – Ben Major Memorial Lecture.

Media Activities

The use of media is a key element in the overall success of EHI's outreach activities. Media can play a significant role in bridging some of the gaps in the way people of color receive health information, utilize services and advocate for their health.

Kick off of EHI at press conference in February 1997.
May 1998 - Dr. Ruth Marlin was interviewed on About Health radio program regarding the upcoming prostate cancer symposium.
February 1998 - KTVU Channel 2 and Soul Beat aired the EHI hypertension PSA; Rev. Doug Fitch, Sylvia Fitch and Dr. General Hilliard were interviewed on hypertension on About Health radio program by Dr. LeNoir.
June 11, 1998 – Distributed media advisory about prostate cancer symposium.
June 1998 – EHI’s PSA on prostate cancer aired on KTVU Channel 2 and Cable TV.
June 1998 – Ran newspaper ad about prostate cancer with Jason Giambi and Dr. Mike LeNoir.
August 1998 – EHI’s PSA on prostate cancer aired on KTVU Channel 2 and Cable TV.
September 1998 – Distributed PSA on free prostate cancer lecture and screenings.
October 3, 1998 – Free asthma day camp for youth and their caregivers in Fruitvale district – sent out media alert and press release – focus on Latinos.
October 13, 1998 – Football 101, a fundraiser sponsored by Summit EHI and the Oakland. Raiders to raise funds for breast cancer treatment services for needy women. Ran ad in Raiders’ game day program, aired announcements at Raiders’ games and ran newspaper ad in Oakland Tribune.
October 1998 – Breast cancer awareness month – distributed PSA and calendar listings for free health lecture and free breast self exam classes.
November 8, 1998 – Distributed press release about Diabetes Awareness Day at 10 local congregations involved in Summit’s Health Ministry/Parish Nurse Program – free diabetes screenings were offered.
November 20, 1998 – Great American Smoke Out day – raised awareness of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking - distributed press release.
November 21 and 22, 1998 – Take It To Heart health booth at Soul Beat radio station – offering free health screenings and educational information – distributed press release and mailed fliers to 400 local congregations and community organizations.
December 1, 1998 – AIDS Awareness Day – distributed press release.
December 8, 1998 – World Asthma Day – distributed press release with facts about asthma and what EHI is doing to help educate people about this disease.
December 1998 – EHI’s public service announcement on asthma aired on KTVU Channel 2 and cable TV.
January 1999 – Implementation of the Asian Volunteer Translation Service available to Summit hospital inpatients – distributed press release.
January 8, 1999 – YMCA Day of Many Faces outreach breakfast – participated as speakers.
February 1999 – EHI’s PSA on hypertension aired on KTVU Channel 2 and Cable TV.
February 28, 1999 – Black History Month/National Heart Month – press release distributed about the Health Awareness Day on Sunday, Feb. 28 which offered free blood pressure screenings and health education.
April 17, 1999 – Free Asthma Day Camp at West Oakland Healthy Start Center – distributed media advisory and press release – focus on African Americans.
April 1999 – Asthma PSA aired on KTVU Channel 2 and Cable TV.
April 20, 1999 – Distributed PSA about free community health lecture co-sponsored by Health Access and EHI on Colorectal Cancer by E. Michael Darby, MD.
May 1999 – PSA developed and distributed about the free hypertension support group which meets monthly.
May 1999 – Educational PSA developed on Breast Cancer Awareness with U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
July 1999 – Focus on asthma education – distributed press release about field trip to Stanford to hear Jackie Joyner Kersee speak about her experience with asthma.
EHI newsletter is distribute quarterly to 500 community leaders.
Developed 12 new programs for distribution.
Developed and ran TV ad in local news papers promoting Ethnic Health America.
Established one-minute spots on the Sunday morning gospel program on KISS FM radio.