Holy Name Press Releases

Menendez to Honor Holy Name's Kyung Hee Choi at Women's History Month Celebration

distinguished NJ women to receive Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Awar Award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien to deliver keynote address

March 4, 2016

On Sunday, March 6, 2016, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez will host his Sixth Annual Women's History Month event featuring the Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Awards honoring six New Jersey women for their exceptional achievements, including Kyung Hee Choi of Harrington Park, the VP of Asian Health Services at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck. Award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien will deliver the keynote address.

The Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Awards were created in tribute to the Senator's mother, who came to the United States from Cuba to give her children a better life and who passed away in 2009 after a long, courageous fight with Alzheimer's disease.

"My mother, Evangelina, for whom this award is named, showed me the meaning of courage, integrity and the importance of fighting for what's right, every single day of her life," said Sen. Menendez. "She blazed that trail for me and I will continue to honor her and all of the women whose strength, wisdom and tireless determination to stand up for the people they serve make our country and our state a better, safer, cleaner place to live, work and raise a family."

WHAT: Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Awards
WHEN: 3:00 p.m. (Media setup by 2:45 p.m.)
WHERE: Montclair State University
Memorial Auditorium
30 East Normal Ave.
Montclair, N.J.

(Media wishing to cover, please RSVP to Steven_Sandberg@menendez.senate.gov)

Choi, the first Asian-American to receive the Evangelina Menendez Trailblazer Award, retired from JP Morgan as a managing director after witnessing the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and committed her life's work to serving the Asian-American community. She developed Holy Name's Department of Asian Health Services (AHS) to address the language and cultural needs of the Asian-American population, and is credited with transforming the hospital into one of the preeminent healthcare institutions in the New York - New Jersey metropolitan area for members of the Asian community.

Ms. Choi's work has helped to enhance the lives of thousands of local Asian-Americans through community outreach initiatives she has led that include health fairs, physician lectures, educational programs and support groups—with a special focus on awareness, prevention and treatment of breast cancer, hepatitis B, diabetes, depression, dementia and other mental health issues. Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Choi and her team have assisted over 5,000 families enroll in health insurance coverage.

This year's ceremony will honor six pioneering women who have made significant contributions to the Garden State and our country in law, health care, education, community and environmental advocacy. The other awardees are:

• Paulette Brown; President, American Bar Association
• Chelsea Collins; NJEA Teacher of the Year, Woodstown Middle School
• Michellene Davis; Executive VP for Corporate Affairs, Barnabas Health
• Siomara Sanchez; President, National Association of Cuban-American Women
• Cindy Zipf; Executive Director, Clean Ocean Action