About:

Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (CBWCHC) works to eliminate disparities, improve health status, and expand access to care with a focus on Asian Americans. It is an advocate and leader in providing quality, culturally relevant, affordable care and health education to its medically underserved population.

CBWCHC’s Hepatitis B Program is widely recognized as a national model of outreach, prevention and care that has reduced major health disparities for Asian Americans—chronic hepatitis B infection and associated liver disease. Although Asian and Pacific Islanders make up less than 5% of the total US population, they account for more than 50% of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B.

Among the first providers in NYC to recognize this burden, its comprehensive Hepatitis B Program includes:

• Culturally and linguistically appropriate awareness campaigns in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese through ethnic media and community outreach;
• Routine screenings and vaccinations, and free community screenings;
• Affordable, accessible treatment regardless of ability to pay;

• Training of primary care providers in proper diagnosis and management;
• Dissemination of best practices;
• Policy advocacy; and
• Leveraging private and public support to enhance and sustain its program through multiple partnerships.

Since 2000, it has screened more than 100,000, identifying over 7,000 chronic hepatitis B patients, and its Hepatitis B Moms Program annually monitors 100 women to reduce mother-child transmission. Since 2011, no infants delivered by CBWCHC have acquired hepatitis B from perinatal transmission.

In his letter of reference, Jeffrey Caballero summarized the program’s success:

“The strength of CBWCHC’s approach is its belief that a high degree of community ownership and participation is essential for sustained success… it’s Hepatitis B Program effectively marshals a community’s internal resources and assets, across community sectors, to strategically focus attention on this priority health issue.”