Patient Navigator Program- Improving access to health services for Asian Americans

Montgomery County, MD, is one of the top immigrant destinations in the US. Minorities make up 45% of its total population. 13% of its population is Asian Americans, some of whom face significant health issues and excess burden of disease. Low socioeconomic status, lack of health insurance, cultural and linguistic disparities hamper Asian Americans in accessing appropriate health care. The Asian American Health Initiative's Patient Navigator Program (PNP) addresses these health care needs by enabling culturally and linguistically appropriate access to health services. Patient Navigators help callers navigate Montgomery County health resources, provide information and referrals to county health services, and assist with Interpretation in clinical settings and over the phone. The program helps low income; uninsured LEP Asian Americans overcome communication barriers, schedule appointments at county clinics, and provide on-site Medical Interpretation in languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean and Vietnamese. In its first 18 months of operation the Patient Navigator Program registered 1200 patients, handled 8000 calls and provided 358 over the phone and 1582 onsite interpreting sessions. This presentation will provide an overview of Asian Americans in the county, their specific health needs, the county's response, success and challenges of PNP, data review and some case scenarios. After the presentation, participants will learn about the components of Patient Navigator Program, how Patient Navigators are succeeding in overcoming barriers for LEP Asian Americans accessing health services. Demographic data and case scenarios will be presented.