Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center Expecting 1,500 Asians at 7th Annual Health Festival

Number of Participants Grows Each Year

September 26, 2015

More than 1,500 uninsured Asian residents will be at Holy Name Medical Center on Saturday, September 26, to get results of blood tests, meet with physicians and undergo additional screenings as part of the Medical Center’s 7th annual health festival, organized through the hospital's Asian Health Services. Most of the participants had their blood drawn last weekend and will be able to meet with specialists to review specific health concerns.

More than 85 physicians from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut volunteer to meet with participants, many of whom use the health festival as their only source of medical care. The blood work tests for 35 markers, including those that show cholesterol levels, anemia, diabetes, liver and kidney function and hepatitis B. Some participants also underwent additional screenings such as thyroid sonograms, digital prostate exams, eye tests, and hemorrhoid, dental and foot exams.

"This is such an underserved population and we are glad to be able to provide these services," said Kyung Hee Choi, Vice President of Asian Health Services. "It's a massive undertaking that is made possible only through the hundreds of volunteer doctors, nurses, technicians and members of the community as well as our hospital administrators and donors."

The health festival is held in Holy Name's Marian Hall from 10 am to 2 pm.

Asian Health Services was established earlier this year in response to the growing Asian population in North Jersey and serves as the umbrella for the Korean Medical Program (KMP) and the newly created Chinese Medical Program. The Chinese population alone has grown 34 percent statewide. Spurred by the success of the KMP, which has served more than 45,000 people since it was implemented in 2008, both new programs have been designed with the same mission – honoring the uniqueness of every individual and delivering high quality care in a culturally-sensitive environment.