Addressing a lack of culturally sensitive healthcare for Cambodian and Vietnamese communities in O.C.

This is the third story in a three-part TimesOC series “Improving Healthcare Access for Cambodians and Vietnamese,” supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism 2020 California Fellowship. “We’re culturally and linguistically aware of our Cambodian population and the different connotations and context needed in order to explain such matters.” The County of Orange Social Services Agency in an email said it provides Vietnamese and Cambodian language lines through which residents can request medical interpreters when needed, and that Medi-Cal recipients are provided with a brochure to help them identify their language needs. Counties in California are required to submit cultural competence plans to the State Department of Health Care Services every three years, but plans aren’t reviewed at the state level, said Lee Lo, former California Policy Advocate at the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. We know how to refer and we want to make sure they’re able to access those services.” Community organizations like Khmer Arts Academy serve the Cambodian American population in Long Beach and Orange County. Other Long Beach youth enjoyed the activities and also felt that a school-based wellness center would help them with their mental, physical and emotional health and a resource to help them stay in school and graduate on time.” A Southeast Asian American issue that extends beyond Orange County Cindy Sangalang, an assistant professor at UCLA whose research focuses on health and well-being in immigrant and refugee communities, said when it comes to addressing the needs of the Southeast Asian American community, it’s important to consider America’s role in the conflicts refugees fled from.