International Community Health Services

Akemi Matsumoto recalls her grandmother, who came to the United States from Japan when she was 18 years old. She worked hard, paid taxes, and raised 12 children alone after the death of her...

"One of Maria’s two pastors passed away. The health advocate from Swedish left, moving onto another position. These small breaks offer insight into how little it takes to derail someone like Maria. The cost of a phone bill can be a barrier to following up on appointments. Unreliable transportation means not getting somewhere. In this case, the exit of people who had made it their commitment to look out for her was all it took to set Maria adrift."

"It is one of life’s great ironies. As a resident of Hong Kong—the home Yinha Lai left behind more than 20 years ago—she had regular and unimpeded access to one of the world’s most advanced, low-cost universal health care systems. Here in the United States, Yinha’s adopted home, a trip to the doctor’s office has been something she has felt she cannot afford."

To talk to “Asha” is to understand the blind instinct that drives people to willingly give up everything they know for much they don’t, in pursuit of something they are convinced must be better. It’s the hope for a better life. It’s the universal story of the immigrant. It’s also the backstory for more than 98% percent of all Americans.

Increased fear of discrimination and harsh immigration policies are causing mental anguish for people in Seattle’s minority, immigrant, and refugee communities. The unease is so prevalent it’s keeping them from seeing a doctor or therapist, and creating paralysis when the community could most use the support of counseling and other health-related services.

The following is a message from International Community Health Services. There is a silent killer that disproportionately effects one in 12 Asian Americans and other immigrants. It is the leading cause of liver cancer, easily...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (HHS-OMH) chooses a theme each year, and partners around the United States join to raise awareness about the health disparities that minorities...