FAQ
How is Asian Pacific Hepatitis Outreach (APHO) found?
APHO is inspired by the Hepatitis Linkage Project (HLP) which was initiated in the Summer 2017 by a group of medical students, members of Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
Following the success of the Summer 2017, the linkage counselors of the first HLP cohort decide to continue to help improve the health of our local community, and to share this unique opportunity with their colleagues at UCLA.
Why only Asian Pacific Islanders? Isn't anyone can be affected by Hepatitis?
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 5% of the total population in the United States is Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), but make up more than 50% of nearly one million Americans living with chronic hepatitis B.
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Low-rate of HBV screening has been associated with patient-related barriers such as knowledge about hepatitis, in addition with myths related to the disease. Language barrier makes it difficult for individuals with limited English proficiency or with no English-speaking member in the family to communicate with healthcare providers, as well as understanding and navigating the healthcare system.
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Although many community-based organizations and programs have worked together to implement health fairs and screenings to combat the spread and occurrence of hepatitis in AAPIs, the majority of patients who received their test results failed to follow-up with their providers. Therefore, APHO wants to help patients, especially monolingual-speaking patients, who got screened understand their test results and be able to utilize resources available to them as local clinics and hospitals.
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What will I do as a Linkage Counselor?
Your official title will be Linkage Counselor at APLC. At weekly health site, you will conduct patient follow-up in their respective language via phone call to update patients on their status, educate them about hepatitis, and connect them to local clinic for treament.
What type of applicants are we looking for?
We are looking for highly skilled and motivated applicants who are proficient in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, and Mongolian.
How can I join APHO?
The annual internship application is available every Winter Quarter. Please follow us Facebook or check the upcoming events on our website for more information.​