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May 7, 2012

Mimi Chang, NP, who has helped develop the Asian Pacific Liver Center (APLC) at St. Vincent Medical Center in Downtown Los Angeles, will receive the Sherri Ziegler Community Service Award as a leader in viral hepatitis education and advocacy at a ceremony in Sacramento on May 23.

Mimi Chang, MSN, FNP, of the Asian Pacific Liver Center (APLC) at St. Vincent Medical Center

The award, given by the California Hepatitis Alliance (CalHEP), will recognize Mimi’s efforts to assist thousands of people affected disproportionately by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) disease. Nominations for the award came from the community and were voted upon by the CalHEP Steering Committee.

“This award was earned by our entire APLC team of physicians, staff and volunteer nurses and student volunteers who have gone with me into the communities affected by chronic hepatitis B,” said Mimi Chang. “We have screened and educated nearly 15,000 people in the communities at high risk for hepatitis B — in Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian neighborhoods. We have vaccinated thousands. And our hepatologists Ho Bae, MD and Tse-Ling Fong, MD provide ongoing care for people who are already affected by the virus.”

The Asian Pacific Liver Center opened as a hospital clinic and research center at St. Vincent Medical Center in 2007 and has since become the primary hepatitis B research and outreach center in metropolitan Los Angeles. Research projects are testing the safety of different antiviral therapies and also looking into other health conditions of people with CHB.

St. Vincent Medical Center President/CEO Cathy Fickes noted that Mimi has gone “above and beyond” as an advocate and healthcare practitioner. She said: “Mimi is most deserving of this award. She lives our values every day: provides compassionate care, advocates for the underserved, shows respect for everyone, and finds inventive ways to get our mission accomplished.”

LOS ANGELES (April 30, 2012) – Mimi Chang, NP, who has helped develop the Asian Pacific Liver Center (APLC) at St. Vincent Medical Center, will win the Sherri Ziegler Community Service Award as a leader in viral hepatitis education and advocacy at a ceremony in Sacramento on May 23.

The award, given by the California Hepatitis Alliance (CalHEP), will recognize Mimi’s efforts to assist thousands of people affected disproportionately by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) disease. Nominations for the award came from the community and were voted upon by the CalHEP Steering Committee.

“This award was earned by our entire APLC team of physicians, staff and volunteer nurses and student volunteers who have gone with me into the communities affected by chronic hepatitis B,” said Mimi Chang. “We have screened and educated nearly 15,000 people in the communities at high risk for hepatitis B — in Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian neighborhoods. We have vaccinated thousands. And our hepatologists Ho Bae, MD and Tse-Ling Fong, MD provide ongoing care for people who are already affected by the virus.”

The Asian Pacific Liver Center opened as a hospital clinic and research center at St. Vincent Medical Center in 2007 and has since become the primary hepatitis B research and outreach center in metropolitan Los Angeles. Research projects are testing the safety of different antiviral therapies and also looking into other health conditions of people with CHB.

St. Vincent Medical Center President/CEO Cathy Fickes noted that Mimi has gone “above and beyond” as an advocate and healthcare practitioner. She said: “Mimi is most deserving of this award. She lives our values every day: provides compassionate care, advocates for the underserved, shows respect for everyone, and finds inventive ways to get our mission accomplished.”

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About St. Vincent Medical Center

With three consecutive years of awards for quality healthcare services from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), St. Vincent Medical Center has been ranked fifth among Best Hospitals in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area for 2011-2012, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Providing compassionate healthcare and serving the sick poor has been the mission of St. Vincent Medical Center for more than 155 years. Established in downtown Los Angeles in 1856 by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Vincent is a world-renowned, 366-bed facility, offering comprehensive medical services, including ear surgery and neurosurgery, general orthopaedics, spine care, joint replacement, cancer treatment, cardiovascular services, thoracic surgery, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, and multi-organ transplantation.

St. Vincent Medical Center is part of the Daughters of Charity Health System, a nonprofit Catholic health system spanning the California coast.

The Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) and Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers (SEIU-UHW) today reached agreement on a new three-year contract covering nearly 2,600 employees in six DCHS hospitals in California: O’Connor Hospital, San Jose; Saint Louise Regional Hospital, Gilroy; Seton Coastside, Moss Beach; Seton Medical Center, Daly City; St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood; and St. Vincent Medical Center, Los Angeles.

The agreement comes after several months of discussions and achieves the goal – set by both sides – to develop a fair and reasonable contract,” according to Stephanie Battles, DCHS vice president of human resources.

“We can all feel proud about this new agreement, particularly in these challenging times for health care in our state and across the nation,” said Battles. “The agreement protects the interests of our associates and the financial health and safe and efficient operation of our hospitals.”

SEIU-UHW membership ratified the agreement yesterday.

“We want to acknowledge the bargaining teams for their good-faith efforts during our contract discussions,” said Battles. “We also wish to thank all of our employees for their ongoing and valuable contribution in service to our patients and the communities we serve.”