Chien-Chi Huang is on a Mission to Empower Asian Women in their Healthcare Journeys
“Being able to take care of their own physical and mental health needs is important for Asian women, who are often the caretakers for others. Gaining the skills and knowledge to make healthy decisions is not only important for personal health, but strengthens the community as well.” Inspired by her own personal journey with breast cancer, today’s woman dreamer is a leader to know in the healthcare world. Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of Asian Women for Health, paving the way for the healthcare industry to better address the needs of Asian-Americans. We are excited to share her story for this week’s Women’s Health Wednesday!
1) Tell us your story. You are the Asian Women for Health Founder & Executive Director. What inspired you to start this initiative, and tell us more about the mission?
As a breast cancer survivor and an immigrant, I have personal and professional experience that informs my deep understanding of how to work with underserved, under-resourced populations. I felt isolated and frustrated as a cancer patient because I could not find any programs that meet the unique needs of Asian women. I had a hard time navigating and accessing the US healthcare system.
My experience with diagnosis and illness allows me to empathize with, and effectively address many of the challenges Asian women face. These factors cement my commitment and guide my perspective on how culturally and linguistically responsive programs can significantly improve health outcomes.
This is why I want to continue working with and uplifting my peers with an asset-based, holistic approach that fosters a sense of community so Asian women will not feel afraid, ashamed and alone anymore.
2) What are some of the important women's health learnings you have had in your role at Asian Women for Health? What are some health issues/topics that you feel pertain to Asian Americans in particular?
Asian Americans have a shared history of suffering from persistent discrimination and racism. Health disparities in the Asian American communities include higher rates of tuberculosis, hepatitis B and various cancers as compared with other racial groups. In fact, there's an 89% increase in breast cancer among Asian women in Massachusetts from 1999-2013 and I was diagnosed in 2005. In addition, certain behavioral and mental health issues are more prevalent in the Asian American communities. Asian women are further burdened by gender discrimination due to the oppression and expectations within their cultures of origin, some of which consider females inferior to males, limiting their voice and decision-making authority.
According to the 2021 Stop AAPI Hate National Report, there have been over 4,000 hate incidents since the pandemic began, a 149% rise over 2020. COVID-19 and the resulting surge of anti-Asian incidents have created an atmosphere of anxiety, fear, and loss. This has negatively impacted Asian women’s mental and physical health in significant ways, including higher depression rates and lower utilization of preventive care. These factors further prevent Asian women from seeking timely screenings and support.
AWFH’s community-based programs use a three-pronged strategy to forge a powerful partnership between Asian women, health care providers, and the community at large. AWFH’s programming empowers Asian women to seek help making informed decisions for themselves and their loved ones, to obtain curative and preventive care, and to participate in voicing the need for health policy changes that reduce the prevalence of race, ethnicity, and language-based health disparities and inequalities. AWFH convenes community focus groups to identify barriers and find solutions to healthcare access for Asian women. AWFH also conducts peer health leader training and workshops to enhance the knowledge of community members and develop new leaders
3) You work with numerous organizations such as PCORI and MGH. You have also received numerous awards. What is your next big dream?
AWFH recognizes the need to train new leaders who are bi-lingual, bi-cultural women who share AWFH’s mission and goals. AWFH will partner with local community organizations to provide health literacy training and develop new organizing strategies, including implementation of the Achieving Whole Health Program. AWFH will also conduct an outreach campaign to recruit college students to become peer health educators and community advocates. Students will be provided with service-learning opportunities at all AWFH events. AWFH will increase the cohort of women trained through our programs and integrate the trainees into our outreach network.
AWFH was recently selected as the East Coast Region Lead to spearhead the community engagement efforts for "All of Us," a NIH funded national study that aims to create the largest biobank in U.S. history. We are proud to do our part by collaborating with other agencies and providers to increase the representation of under-serveed populations, particularly Asian Americans in clinical trials and research like this. AWFH was also awarded a 2-year grant from Michael J. Fox Foundation to study Parkinson's Disease in the Asian population in collaboration with Tufts Medical Center and Tuft University.
4) How do you seek to empower women through your work?
AWFH empowers Asian women to improve their leadership and life skills by building personal and family resiliency, reducing stress, improving diet/exercise, and learning critical self-care skills. Being able to take care of their own physical and mental health needs is important for Asian women who are often the caretakers for others. Gaining the skills and knowledge to make healthy decisions is not only important for personal health, but strengthens the community as well.
As advocates and ambassadors of better health and well-being, we strive to build an organization and community of driven individuals, each with roots that run deep. We believe change begins with ourselves and with the vision of AWFH, we are paving a path ahead toward creating a pipeline of Asian female leaders, including peer health educators, advocates, and community researchers, who catalyze change and promote health equity.
Thank you Chien-Chi for sharing your inspiring story with us. We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bio: Chien-Chi Huang is the founder of the Asian Breast Cancer Project and the Executive Director of Asian Women for Health. Ms. Huang’s personal cancer journey led her to participate in national as well as local efforts on health equity and racial justice. Her remarkable passion for the community has changed the healthcare landscape for Asian women and created a pipeline of future leaders and peer health educators.
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