$2 million campaign to meet demand at Asian Health Services

Oakland, Calif. — Demand for health services prompted an Oakland-based health clinic to start a $2 million campaign July 8 to expand, the chair of the clinic said.

At about 10:30 a.m. officials with Asian Health Services announced the campaign at the Rolland and Kathryn Lowe Medical Center at 835 Webster St. in Oakland.

The expansion will be part of the Pediatric and Family Care Center of Excellence at 818 Webster St. and consist of 29 additional exam, counseling and group education rooms to treat medical and behavioral illnesses.

Just last year the clinic raised $3 million to open a new dental clinic.

“We could not cope with the demand,” Asian Health Services Board Chair Carl Chan said.

The clinic treats 27,000 patients each year and handles 117,000 patients visits from underserved community members around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Clinic officials hope to raise the $2 million July 3 at the Seventh Annual Mayors Cup Charity Gold Tournament at the Sequoyah Country Club in Oakland.

The golf tournament last year raised the $3 million needed for the dental clinic, Asian Health Services director of program planning & development Julia Liou said.

Everything raised at the golf tournament and a silent auction will go toward the campaign, Liou said.

Anyone can play in the tournament and anyone can contribute to the campaign by going to http://asianhealthservices.org/health or getting in touch with Liou at jliou@ahschc.org.

The clinic is expected to open in one to two years.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was expected to attend the announcement, but Schaaf had to tend to a four-alarm fire that broke out earlier in the day.

Clinic staff assisted in the response to the fire by working as interpreters because some people affected by the fire spoke Laotian.

At least some of the interpreters were going to provide counseling if needed.

Chan said he hopes the expansion will attract providers to provide services in more than the 12 languages it already does and provide doctors who not only treat illnesses but understand the patient’s culture.

“We expect to be a model in the state,” Liou said.