April 2011

Dear Donors, Volunteers, Supporters and Friends:

First, allow me to extend my sincere thanks to all of you for the successful mission!
Since my first letter, dated April 2010, I am pleased to announce that CHPAA has achieved tremendous growth.  In June 2010, we were granted 501(c) (3) non-profit tax-exempt status; in January of this year, we successfully carried out our carefully planned inaugural medical and dental mission to Cambodia. This growth is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of numerous volunteers, planning committee members, private and corporate donors and the Cambodian-American community as a whole.

In support of this mission, we successfully held our first fundraising banquet on November 5, 2010, which was attended by the Cambodian Ambassador to the US, Hem Heng and the Mayor of Long Beach, Bob Foster. We were able to acquire significant amounts of medicines, medical, and dental supplies and equipment either through donations or from several non-profit organizations in the US, with a fraction of the retail cost. In a show of robust community support, several hundred volunteers, ranging from senior citizens to high school students spent three consecutive weekends helping us prepackaging and labeling medications and supplies. A total of 53 boxes (50 lbs. each) were prepared.

Keeping in mind our core mission of providing medical and dental care to those most desperately in need, we set up our free clinic at the Khmuonh Health Center in Khan Sen Sok, a municipality of Phnom Penh and one of the most underserved areas in the Cambodian Capital.  Seen on a first-come, first-served basis, patients came from the surrounding areas, other parts of Phnom Penh and distant provinces. Over the course of one week, our team of fifty US volunteers including ten physicians, four physician assistants, four dentists, registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, students and logistical staff treated over five thousand patients of all ages and prescribed medications completely free of charge. Our US team was assisted by a prominent local dentist and an enthusiastic group of twenty-five local medical student volunteers who helped as nurses, medical assistants and interpreters.

Our medical team did a superb job of treating a wide array of common ailments with compassion and dedication. Our one and only pain specialist made a significant impact on the lives of hundreds of chronic pain sufferers, many thanking him for the opportunity to be pain free for the first time in their lives. The dental team also made a tremendous impact in the relief of pain and suffering. The team had to work under extremely difficult conditions, with inadequate facilities and equipment. These professionals set an ambitious goal of providing both dental restorations, such as fillings, as well as extractions. Relentless, our dental surgeon used his surgical prowess to relieve the suffering of as many patients as he could, on multiple occasions having to extract as many as 25-30 teeth from a single patient. We are also proud and thankful for our local Cambodian volunteer dentist. Not only did she work hard to treat our patients, but she also donated the use of several dental chairs and secured dental equipment and supplies. Her professionalism and dedication were appreciated by patients and greatly respected by our team.

In addition to the volunteer medical professionals, we wholeheartedly extend our thanks and appreciation to the supporting staff that worked on logistics; without them, the mission would not have been possible. I would also like to single out our group of young local medical students, who were energetic and eager to help and learn from our staff mentors.

Overall, the demand for our services far exceeded expectations. Crowds of people seeking care would begin to arrive in the early morning hours, stretching for several city blocks. Unfortunately, many of them had to be turned away. Many of the patients we cared for had never seen or could afford to see a doctor in their lives. With our daily service rate at over one thousand patients (twice the number as planned), additional medications and supplies had to be purchased on short notice to supply need. As a parting donation, CHPAA contributed to the improvement of the host health center with the installation of a water tower, restoration of the bathrooms and improvement of the grounds.  Additionally, CHPAA donated a portion of the mission’s medicines, medical instrumentation and equipment to the host clinic. During the mission, as part of our health education, educational materials written in Khmer and English covering the most common illnesses, developed by our volunteers, were widely distributed. We also gave away hundreds of the most sought-after reading eyeglasses and tooth brushes to the patients.

Enjoying the support and appreciation of the local, city and national authorities, we were honored with visits to the clinic by the Governor of Khan Sen Sok, Dr. Khuong Sreng and the Minister of Health, Dr. Mam Bunheng. We thanked both officials for their support and help in importing the medicines, medical/dental supplies and equipment, procuring work permits and assuring the security of our team and patients. We also were greatly honored by a visit from US Congresswoman Laura Richardson, representing Long Beach, California. Outlets such as the Voice of America, the satellite television station “CTN” as well as local television and radio also covered the mission.

Our combined backgrounds provided our team with unique competency in language,   culture, customs, health beliefs, as well as a deep understanding of health issues present in both Cambodia and the US.Because of this, we believe that CHPAA is in an unparalleled position to positively impact the health of the Cambodian people through health education and intervention.  Our long-term goal is to work in collaboration with the local health professionals in carrying out this mission to build capacity for a sustainable future. To this end, we were encouraged by the group of medical student volunteers who spoke movingly about our mentorship, and the example of collaboration and shining spirit of volunteerism shown by our local dentist.

As an all-volunteer grass-roots organization, CHPAA holdstransparency and accountability as core values.  We operate with no overhead costs. We are not just facilitators of your donations to the people we serve, we are also providers with skill-sets. Be assured; your donations are more than matched by that of our volunteers with time, expertise, and all travel expenses. By choosing CHPAA, your charitable donations have the potential of a multiplying effect in making a difference in people’s lives.
Again, thank you all for your continued support in this humanitarian mission.

Sincerely,
Song Tan, M.D., F.A.A.P.
President