Celebrating Heritage, Leadership, and Equity
By: Simurtej Singh
As we celebrate the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, it is important to honor and remember those who are leading or have left a legacy in creating a more equitable healthcare/ public health system. By learning about the accomplishments of these individuals, we can help create a more inclusive and representative healthcare/public health system for everyone. We must understand that today, disparities are more visible than ever and it’s critical to have a more diverse range of perspectives, experiences and skills to advance healthcare, public health or medicine for all communities. 15, 16
Furthermore, a closer look at our local community leaders reveals how much they have learned from their predecessors and implemented them in their own contributions to society, frequently anchoring the vital community-based research and data frameworks required to uncover the systemic health variations across individual ethnic groups. By elevating these diverse voices and documenting their legacies, we should do more than to celebrate individual brilliance; we must actively work to preserve the histories of those who broke systemic barriers in American institutions and established a clear roadmap for future generations dedicated to driving clinical excellence and healthcare/public health equity.
AANHPI Healthcare Leaders Showcase
Dr. Kazue Togasaki (Japanese American): One of the first Japanese American women to earn an MD; she provided critical care within WWII internment camps and delivered over 50 babies in a medical facility she set up herself at the internment camp. 1
Dr. Myung-ki “Mike” Hong (Korean American): A chemist and philanthropist who donated $2 million toward the establishment of two endowed chairs for scientific research with applications ranging from regenerative medicine to environmental sustainability and has been a cornerstone for Korean American community health initiatives in California. 2
Dr. Song Tan (Cambodian American): A pediatrician and founder of the Cambodian Health Professionals Association of America (CHPAA), serving the diaspora in Long Beach. He is the current Chair of the Pediatric Department at St Mary Medical Center, Long Beach. 3
Dr. Tuong Nguyen (Vietnamese American): A physician leader instrumental in creating culturally tailored health programs for Hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention. He is currently the Stephen J. McPhee, MD Endowed Chair in General Internal Medicine and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). 4
Dr. Hee Yun Lee (Hmong American): Lee is an internationally renowned scholar in behavioral health, implementation science, and digital health innovation. Dr. Lee has led groundbreaking work in the development of seven evidence-based digital health applications. Several of these applications have been adopted by major health insurance providers and disseminated across clinical and hospital systems. 5
Dr. Vivek Murthy (Indian American): The 21st U.S. Surgeon General who helped lead the national response to a range of health challenges, including the Ebola and Zika viruses, and the opioid crisis etc. He also issued the first Surgeons General’s report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health. 6
Dr. Arati Prabhakar (Indian American): Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She founded Actuate, a non-profit dedicated to innovation for society’s challenges. She has also been a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. 7
Dr. Kanwaljeet “Sunny” Anand (Sikh American): Dr. Anand founded the Harmony Health Clinic, the largest charitable medical & dental clinic in Little Rock and worked to remove inter-faith conflict throughout the state of Arkansas. He is considered a world authority on pain/stress in newborns and pain management in infants. 8
Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell (Native Hawaiian): Dr. Blaisdell helped author a groundbreaking paper that called attention to declining health among Native Hawaiians in their native land. In 1966, Dr. Blaisdell was recruited from the University of Chicago to become the first chair of medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. 9
Dr. Raynald Samoa (Samoan American): He was named a member of President Joseph Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. He co-founded the Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team which aims to increase the amount of available data specific to the Pacific Islander population, develop and train more healthcare providers for the community. 10
Melisa Laelan (Marshallese American): She was appointed to serve on the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, making her the first Marshall Islander to serve on a state agency capacity. Laelan is the founder and Chief Executive Director of Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese (ACOM), a not-for-profit Marshallese-operated organization that focuses on health, leadership, education and culture. 11
Dr. Charissa Chamorro (Chamorro-American): Dr. Charissa Chamorro is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Chamorro is on the Expert Medical Review Board for Parents Magazine and she is a frequent media contributor. Her expertise has been featured in Time, Forbes, Parents, People, Huffington Post, Real Simple, Insider, Healthline, and Newsweek. 12
Local Spotlight: California University Alumni Leaders
We are proud to highlight leaders who belong to one of California’s many prestigious universities, exemplifying the impact of our state’s education on healthcare.
Dr. Umang Sharma, MD (Indian American): A public health researcher and a physician with expertise in epidemiology and health policy at Loma Linda University. Working under the Director of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department, Dr. Seth Wiafe, she has supported various infectious disease surveillance and health equity analyses within the San Bernardino County Public Health Department.
Dr. Oanh Meyer, PhD (Vietnamese American): An alumna of UC Davis and Associate Professor at UC Davis Health, launched a first-of-its-kind study, the Vietnamese Insights into Aging Program (VIP), where she follows older Vietnamese Americans to see what role adversity and trauma may play in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk, specifically among Vietnamese American refugees. 13
Kaying Yang (Hmong American): As the President of THE CENTER at Sierra Health Foundation, she has managed one of the country’s largest opioid use disorder medication for addiction treatment initiatives and helped institute The Center’s $323 million-dollar Proposition 64-funded Elevate Youth California program. Recently, she has been recognized as Sacramento Bee’s Top 20 AAPI Changemakers and currently serves on the board of Sacramento State University’s Project Hmong. 14
Conclusion
The inspiring legacies of the featured AANHPI trailblazers demonstrate that diversity, equity, and targeted community advocacy are the true cornerstones of an effective healthcare/public health system. From the historical battlefields of World War II internment camps to modern-day federal advisory commissions and academic research institutions, these leaders have continually stepped up to champion the needs of underserved populations. Their specialized work has addressed critical public health challenges, including localized disease prevention programs, regional mental health initiatives, maternal care, infant pain management, and extensive substance use disorder treatments. Furthermore, their profound impact on public policy, philanthropic research endowments, and localized county health surveillance highlights how AANHPI leaders continuously fortify our shared social safety net from the grassroots level up to the highest offices of national governance.
Ultimately, ensuring that the distinct stories of almost every ethnicity within the broad AANHPI umbrella are documented preserves a vital historical record that can never be forgotten. The achievements highlighted throughout this document—and specifically within our local communities in California—serve as both an ongoing inspiration and an active catalyst for a more equitable healthcare/public health system. By continuing to support and elevate the next generation of AANHPI clinicians, researchers, and public health advocates, we reinforce a strong pipeline of future leaders who will champion high-quality, culturally competent care for all communities. Together, celebrating these exceptional achievers provides our society with the necessary framework to continuously dismantle barriers to healthcare access and fulfill the true promise of health equity and social justice.
References:
- National Park Service. (2024, April 3). Dr. Kazue Togasaki. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/people/dr-kazuetogasaki.htm
- UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. (2021, July 30). Remembering Dr. Myung Ki Hong (1934–2021). University of California, Los Angeles. https://www.chemistry.ucla.edu/news/remembering-dr-myung-ki-hong-1934-2021/
- Cambodian Health Professionals Association of America. (n.d.). Song Tan bio. https://chpaa.org/song-tan-bio/
- UCSF Department of Medicine. (n.d.). Tung Nguyen, MD. University of California, San Francisco. https://medicine.ucsf.edu/people/tung-nguyen
- University of Georgia School of Social Work. (2025, December 12). Hee Yun Lee, global expert in mental health and artificial intelligence, appointed as Thomas P. Holland Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research. https://ssw.uga.edu/hee-yun-lee-global-expert-in-mental-health-and-artificial-intelligence-appointed-as-thomas-p-holland-distinguished-professor-and-associate-dean-for-research/
- Uniformed Services University. (n.d.). Dr. Vivek H. Murthy biography. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.usuhs.edu/sites/default/files/media/documents/dr._vivek_h._murthy_bio_acc.pdf
- Association for Women in Science. (2022, November 1). An interview with Dr. Arati Prabhakar. https://awis.org/resource/an-interview-with-dr-arati-prabhakar/
- Stanford University. (n.d.). Kanwaljeet S. Anand. Stanford Profiles. https://profiles.stanford.edu/kanwaljeet-anand
- ICT News. (2016, March 11). Native Hawaiian doctor and sovereignty activist walks on. https://ictnews.org/archive/native-hawaiian-doctor-and-sovereignty-activist-walks-on/
- City of Hope. (2024, May 14). Samoa Presidential Commission on noncommunicable diseases visits City of Hope. https://www.cityofhope.org/stories-of-hope/samoa-presidential-commission
- Shriver Center on Poverty Law. (n.d.). Melisa Laelan. https://www.povertylaw.org/people/melisa-laelan/
- Chamorro, C. (n.d.). Meet Dr. Chamorro. https://www.drcharissachamorro.com/bio
- UC Davis Health. (n.d.). Oanh Meyer, Ph.D., M.A.S. Family Caregiving Institute. https://health.ucdavis.edu/family-caregiving/research/oanh-meyer
- The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. (n.d.). Meet our executive team: Kaying Hang. https://www.shfcenter.org/about-us/staff/kaying-hang/
- Supplemental Health Care. (n.d.). Asian American and Pacific Islander advocates leading the way in healthcare. SHC Cares. https://shccares.com/blog/impact/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-advocates-leading-the-way-in-healthcare/
- American College of Healthcare Executives. (2023). Celebrating AAPI month: Creating a supportive environment. ACHE Blog. https://www.ache.org/blog/2023/celebrating-aapi-month-creating-a-supportive-environment
Author Bio:
Simurtej Singh, BS, MPH candidate
Simurtej Singh is a Master of Public Health at Loma Linda University, specializing in Global Health. He will be completing his degree and graduating this June. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from California State University, Sacramento, where he graduated cum laude, and an Associate of Science in Biomedical Sciences from American River College. Currently he is working on creating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Story Map for Loma Linda University School of Public Health on cataract awareness to help populations with low health literacy.