A Santa Clara program designed to mitigate healthcare obstacles for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities is now backed with $1 million in federal funding, introduced county supervisors on Friday.

The Asian/Pacific Islander Community Health Worker pilot program will work with native nonprofits and rent well being staff to take care of seven particular Asian communities within the county.

The funds have been secured due to the management of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who included the county’s funding request in a federal spending invoice accredited in July 2021.

“API communities across America have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s essential that we deliver care to those who need it most,” stated Khanna. “I’m proud to have played a part in securing this funding, which will support culturally appropriate medical care for Santa Clara County’s API communities.”

The program builds off of Simitian’s 2017 well being evaluation and implementation plan for the API neighborhood, which decided that there wanted to be extra linkages between medical, behavioral well being and neighborhood providers for seven subgroups.

“We are grateful for Congressman Khanna’s support of our County’s efforts to improve the health, wellness, and resilience of Santa Clara County’s diverse communities,” stated County Supervisor Joe Simitian in an announcement. “I know we can do more with federal help.”

In 2020, county supervisors launched a three-year pilot to supply data on COVID-19, home violence and power illness in a culturally competent lens to the county’s AAPI neighborhood.

“My goal has always been to make sure that our Asian American and Pacific Islander residents can quickly access the healthcare they need in a way that’s culturally appropriate, and in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable,” stated Simitian. “That’s how we address the long-standing healthcare disparities facing these communities — and improve health outcomes for the entire community.”

Currently this system has 13 well being staff serving to neighborhood members with healthcare insurance coverage, blood strain administration, psychological well being and meals safety, amongst different providers.

Organized by Asian Americans for Community Involvement, this system works with a various array of AAPI-serving organizations to serve a whole bunch of residents. They’ve labored alongside different organizations to host vaccination occasions, pop-up clinics and bystander intervention coaching for hate crimes.

“Ultimately, it’s not just about what can be done now, but doing what we can now to ensure this effort is built to last and offers long-term health solutions,” stated Rhonda McClinton-Brown, deputy director of Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department.