Message from SAPHA President

 

http://joinsapha.org/donate/  

 

We're looking to expand our team with the recruitment of two interns to assist with website design and supporting the Research and Communications committees.

 

Research and Communications Intern

SAPHA needs an intern to contribute to research, writing and/or editing of SAPHA communications and social media (SAPHA website, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter and other social media). We're looking for someone with experience in Constant Contact and/or Microsoft Publisher and other Office Tools.

Website Design Intern

SAPHA also needs an intern to help with website design, specifically someone with experience managing front-end development of WordPress websites. We're looking for someone who has experience designing website layouts and competency with HTML to add and update content.

The Health of South Asians in the United States: An Evidence based Guide for Policy and Program Development, published by Routledge, a division of Taylor & Francis.

Dr. Memoona Hasnain, Professor and Interim Head in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is the lead editor of the book, with co-editors Punam Parikh of UCLA School of Medicine and Dr. Nitasha Chaudhary Nagaraj of The George Washington University. Dr. Hasnain says that while South Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing minority populations in the U.S., there is a disturbing lack of research dedicated to health care issues specific to this group. "For many years, South Asian Americans were considered a 'model minority'; this erroneous perception that people from South Asian countries always achieve social and economic success has created a gap in our understanding of the significant health disparities experienced by this group." Hasnain serves as the president of SAPHA and previously served as the Chair of SAPHA's Research Committee. She credits the ongoing work of this group to expand the body of research available about South Asian American health care issues as the inspiration for the new book.

The Health of South Asians in the United States: An Evidence-based Guide for Policy and Program Development defines South Asian Americans as people living in the U.S. with ancestral roots in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. "South Asian Americans bring with them unique languages, cultures, religions and perspectives that directly impact their health related practices," Hasnain said. "Unless we take the time to understand patients as whole people, it will always be a challenge to provide patient-centered and culturally-competent care, specifically in this increasingly understudied and vulnerable population." Of the major health disparities discussed in the book, Hasnain and her colleagues call attention to the significantly high rates of chronic conditions and co-morbidities, intimate partner violence and tobacco use in the South Asian American community. The book outlines these and other health disparities and discusses research-based recommendations to help improve and support the health and well-being of South Asian Americans.

"This book builds on our continuum of education, awareness, scholarship, advocacy and action to address the health needs of minority and vulnerable populations at the patient, provider and systems levels," Hasnain said. "We hope the information in this book will be widely used and applied for best practices, teaching and would spark for future research. We also hope this work will advance our understanding about interdisciplinary approaches to enhancing health and well-being of South Asian Americans and continue our efforts to reduce health disparities for minority populations."

The book is available both on Amazon.com and Routledge.com.