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Asian American Diabetes Initiative
Joslin's Asian Clinic provides one-on-one appointments with doctors who understand diverse Asian American cultures
Appointments
Care Designed for You
In response to the rising rates of diabetes in the Asian American population and the lack of culturally relevant research, Clinical care, and education, Joslin Research Director George L. King, MD, and supporters of Joslin Diabetes Center established the Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) in 2000.
Our Goals
- Study diabetes in the Asian American population and disseminate Joslin’s research findings to healthcare providers and Asian American communities.
- Provide diabetes education through innovative and culturally appropriate materials and outreach programs.
- Design and implement clinical treatment programs for Asian Americans.
- Collaborate with local, national and international organizations to raise diabetes awareness.
- Incorporate diverse community voices to promote health equity.
The Asian Clinic at Joslin
The Asian Clinic provides Joslin clinic's exceptional patient care and education model specifically tailored to Asian Americans. As one of the first Asian Clinics in a tertiary setting, we provide comprehensive diabetes care that is truly unique and much needed by our patients and their caregivers. Through linguistically appropriate and culturally relevant approaches, Joslin's Asian Clinic serves to enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for Asian Americans whose life is touched by diabetes.
Joslin's Asian Clinic provides one-on-one appointments with a medical provider and a certified diabetes educator who have experience and are sensitive to the diverse Asian American cultures.
Our diabetes care includes personalized service to our patients at each step of the way. The Asian Clinic Coordinator serves as a liaison between our patients and the clinic not only to schedule appointments, but also supports the patient with registration, referral, and prescription concerns.
Joslin's Asian Clinic is directed by Dr. George L. King, Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, Head of the Section on Vascular Cell Biology and Founder/Director of the AADI at Joslin Diabetes Center. The clinic is staffed by Dr. Runhua Hou, Yu Wang, Nurse Practitioner, Ka Hei Karen Lau, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, and Julia Li, Asian Clinic Coordinator.
Clinic Services
- Culturally Tailored Medical Treatment Plan
- Personalized Medication Regimen
- Traditional Asian Diet Meal Plan
- Multilingual Educational Tools
- Asian Social Club: seasonal workshops on various topics
- Walking Club at Boston Common
Our Supports
- Designated Asian Clinic Coordinator
- Asian Clinic Direct Line
- Weekly Clinic Meeting
- Personalized Patient Folder with Goals and Diabetes Resources
- Interpreter Service for Asian Languages
Free Resources
Making an Appointment
Registering for the Asian Clinic
- Call your insurance company to see if you are covered for Joslin Diabetes Center (Joslin is a specialty center). Find out if a referral is needed.
- Call Asian Clinic direct line at 617-309-3444 to register. Please have the following information ready:
- Name, address, phone number, date of birth
- Emergency contact name and phone number
- Name and address of Primary Care Physician (PCP)
- Insurance information (name of the insurance plan, subscriber’s name and his/her date of birth, subscriber ID)
- The Asian Clinic Coordinator will also ask your preferred language and ethnicity
For patients who need a referral, Please call your PCP to:
- Fax referral (if necessary) to 617-309-5705.
- Fax your latest lab records and relevant medical records to the Asian Clinic Coordinator at 617-309-3445.
On Your Appointment Day
- Check in at the desk on the 2nd floor.
- Be sure to bring:
- All your insurance card(s)
- All your medications
- Your blood glucose meter and blood glucose records (if available)
- Most recent lab work/medical records (if not already faxed over)
- Asian Clinic personalized folder (will be mailed/emailed to you prior to appointment)
- Completed new patient intake form and questionnaires (will be mailed/emailed to you prior to appointment)
- *Your folder and intake form is important for providers to better understand you. Please make sure to bring it with you!
Asian American Resources in Your Area
Learn about Asian American resources, services, and events in your community.
Healthcare Providers/Community Health Centers in Massachusetts
Asian Mental Health Program
Cambridge Health Alliance
1493 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel: 617-591-6430 (ext. 6020)
Psychiatry, psychology, social work, and family therapy in a safe and sensitive setting.
Asian Renal Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617-732-6383
Aims to provide comprehensive care and clinical research for renal diagnosis among the Asian population.
Asian Women For Health
83 Wallace Street
Somerville, MA 02144
TEL: 617-767-1071
Advancing Asian women's health and wellness through education, advocacy, and support.
DotHouse Health
1353 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02148
Tel: 617-288-3230
Provides comprehensive primary care services with adult, family, pediatrics and women's health departments.
Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center, Inc.
75 Kneeland Street, Suite 204
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-357-0226
Social services, nutrition, adult day health care, social daycare, transportation, housing, information and referral, employment and training, health education and promotion, lifeline emergency response, and recreational activities.
Lowell Community Health Center
161 Jackson Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Tel: 978-937-9700
Provides affordable health care, serves the community through 28 different languages.
The MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Promotes the emotional and psychological well-being of students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Multicultural Home Care
Offices in Brighton, Quincy, Lynn, Lawrence
Tel: 1-800-983-6242
Provides home health care services, physical therapy, medication management, and home visiting nurses to seniors through the Greater Boston area. Staff are bi-lingual nurses and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Khmer.
South Cove Community Health Center
Chinatown Clinic
885 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-482-7555
North Quincy Clinic
435 Hancock Street, Suite 209
Quincy, MA 02171
Tel: 617-318-3300
Provides medical and behavioral health services, along with youth and family programs.
Tufts Medical Center; Asian Clinic Programs
800 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-636-8833
Provides cultural and linguistic healthcare to the Asian community.
Community Services in Massachusetts
Asian American Civic Association (AACA)
87 Tyler Street, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-426-9492
Education, occupational training and social services.
Asian American Studies Program
UMASS Boston, Wheatley Building 2nd Floor, Room 097
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
Tel: 617-287-5658
The most ASAMST courses, faculty and community linkages of any New England University.
ABCD Head Start
178 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-348-6388
Head start and early education, child care services of Boston, adult education, elder services, job training, nutrition and food, youth programs.
American Chinese Christian Educational & Social Services, Inc.
244 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-426-1070
After school program, summer enrichment program, adult computer literacy, ESOL classes.
Asian Community Development Corporation
38 Oak Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-482-2380
Provide affordable housing to Asian Americans in their communities, through culturally appropriate programs to help residents improve their health and quality of life.
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence
P.O. Box 120108
Boston, MA 02112
Tel: 617-338-2350
Crisis call response, advocacy at courts, hospitals, housing and social service agencies, emergency shelters, informal counseling to families, outreach and educational programs, including ESL and tutoring.
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
885 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-635-5129
Adult education, after school programs, early education and care, family child care, family services, recreation and fitness, youth center.
Cambodian Mutual Assistance of Lowell, Inc. (CMAA)
465 School Street
Lowell, MA 01851
Tel: 978-454-6200
Serving the Cambodian community of Greater Lowell, providing youth enrichment programs, ESL and US citizenship preparation classes and community outreach programs.
Chinamya Mission Boston
1 Union Street
Andover, MA 01810
Tel: 978-749-0876
Provides value-based education to children, youth group classes, and study groups for adults.
JB Line, Inc. (Japanese Bostonians Support Line)
99 Massachusetts Avenue, #6
Arlington, MA 02474
Tel: 781-296-1800
Provides 24/7 hotline services to promote physical and mental health being, also provides service to non-Japanese immigrants and their families living in New England.
Korean School of New England
Oak Hill Middle School
130 Wheeler Road
Newton, MA 02459
Tel: 508-523-5389
Variety of language, cultural and historical courses every Saturday.
Kwong Kow Chinese School
87 Tyler Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-426-6716
Disseminates language and culture to Chinese and non-Chinese learners. After school programs to assist students in public schools with homework help and exam preparations.
Lexington Chinese School
221 Concord Avenue
Belmont, Ave 02478
Classes are offered every weekend teaching to promote Chinese culture, history, language, and written form.
Quincy Asian Resources (QARI)
1509 Hancock Street, Suite 209
Quincy, MA 02169
Tel: 617-471-9354
Information and referral services, translation, ESOL, outreach, volunteering, and youth leadership
Shishu Bharati
Lexington High School Campus
251 Waltham Street
Lexington, MA 02421
Tel: 1-888-SHISHU-8
A wide range of programs and classes are available to teach about the Indian culture. Language programs are offered in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and much more.
The Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (VietAID)
42 Charles Street, Suite E
Dorchester, MA 02122
Tel: 617-822-3717
Develop affordable housing and commercial space, providing small business and technical assistance and micro-enterprise development, child care services.
The Southeast Asian Coalition
484 Main Street, Suite 400
Worcester, MA 01608
Tel: 508-791-4373
Referral services for access to healthcare, education, jobs, voting information, and business ownership. Classes are also offered for ESL, youth outreach and cultural programs such as traditional dances.
Tzu Chi Boston
15 Summer Street
Newton, MA 02464
Tel: 617-762-0569
Volunteers help out the local community through various charity work, medical care, education, and international disaster relief.
Community Resources in Other States
Arizona
Asia Pacific Community in Action
326 E Coronado Road, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Tel: 602-265-4598
Advocates for health equality and health care access provides care and education.
Pan Asian Community Alliance
940 South Craycroft Road
Tucson, Arizona 85711
Tel: 520-512-0144
Neighborhood after school academy, cultural enrichment and community outreach, citizenship and immigration classes, interpreter and translation for education, social services.
California
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
2400 Moorpark Ave, Suite 300
San Jose, CA 95128
Tel: 408-975-2730
Health, recovery, advocacy, shelter, youth development program, senior wellness program.
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture Inc.
Belmont Health Center
180 Union Place
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Tel: 323-644-3885
Clinical services including medical care, immunizations, health and wellness counseling. Weekly educational classes such as diabetes management, breastfeeding classes for women and exercise classes for seniors.
ARI Community Services
Training Center
2411 Alhambra Blvd, Suite 110
Sacramento, CA 95817
Tel: 916-324-6202
Employment service, youth program, refugee program.
Chinese Community Health Resource Center
835 Pacific Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tel: 415-677-2473
Preventative health, disease management, and research programs, English-Chinese health education materials.
Chinatown Service Center
320 S. Garfield Ave. Suite 202
Alhambra, CA 91801
Tel: 213-808-1720
Health service, senior service, youth center, child development center, affordable housing.
North East Medical Services
1520 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tel: 415-391-9686
Offers a wide range of medical specialties such as pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice, and dental health. Health care services are offered in many languages such as Cantonese, Mandarin, Toisanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Burmese.
Florida
Lealman and Asian Neighborhood Family Center (LANFC)
4255 56th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
Tel: 727-528-7891
Family support, youth services, summer program, junior leader program, ESOL class, computer class for adults.
Illinois
Asian Human Services
4753 N Broadway, Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60640
Tel: 773-728-2235
A family health center, medical center, community health, mental health, workforce development, charter school and LEAF program.
New York
Chinese American Planning Council (CPC)
Central Administration
Tel: 212-941-0920
Address: 150 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10012
Early childhood and school-age child services, community services, workforce development, and senior services.
Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
62 Mott Street
New York, NY 10013
Tel: 212-226-6280
Social Services, sponsors activities for youth, education and recreation, advocates for small businesses and promoting the Chinese American culture.
Chinese Community Center of Flushing (CCCF)
43-17 Union Street, Level C
Flushing, NY 11355
Tel: 347-542-3700
Provides youth programs, social recreation, language classes, and case management for medical and housing needs.
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
268 Canal Street
New York, NY 10013
Tel: 217-379-6998
Offers health and medical services, open 7 days a week. Staff is fluent in multiple languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Fujianese, and Toishanese.
Ohio
Asian Services in Action, Inc.
730 Carroll Street,
Akron, OH 44304
Tel: 330-535-3263
Community health, cultural outreach, citizenship and immigration resources, senior service, youth and family programs.
Asia Community Health Center
3820 Superior Avenue, Suite 214
Cleveland, OH 44114
Tel: 216-361-1223
Offers quality healthcare regardless of ability to pay, with financial assistance to help those in need.
Texas
Asian American Resource Center Nonprofit
8401 Cameron Road
Austin TX, 78754
Tel: 512-974-1700
Asian American health studies, advocacy, ESL classes, computer training for seniors, anti-bullying workshops, legal clinics.
HOPE Clinic
HOPE Clinic Main Office
7001 Corporate Dr, Suite 120
Houston, TX 77036
Tel: 713-773-0803
Provides health care service in 14 different languages, primary care services, pediatrics, dental health, internal medicine, eye exams and educational workshops are offered.
Washington, DC
Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC)
1627 K Street. N.W., Suite 610
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: 202-706-7150
Legal service, legal education, housing and community development project.
Washington
International Community Health Services (ICHS)
720 8th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: 206-788-3700
Medical and dental clinics in multiple locations throughout the Seattle area, aiming to provide cultural and linguistically appropriate health services.
Educational Resources
Screen at 23
More than half of Asian Americans with type 2 diabetes, and even more Asian Americans with pre-diabetes, are undiagnosed. To make treatment, intervention, and even prevention of diabetes possible, we need to first ensure that it is revealed. We need to call for appropriate screening practices for Asian Americans. We need to screen at 23.
Drag 'n Cook
Drag 'n Cook™ lets you digitally prepare delicious Asian cuisines (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese) while monitoring the overall health of the ingredients. The app provides trivia tidbits and full nutritional information about each food. We hope you will enjoy creating healthier versions of your favorite recipes and learning about different ingredients!
Free Resources
The AADI/Asian Clinic has created FAQs on self-care and put together resources that are relevant to Asian communities (patients, their caregivers, family and community members).
Becoming a Joslin Patient
Your First Steps
If your primary care physician has diagnosed you with diabetes or prediabetes, you’ve come to the right place. Joslin Diabetes Center is one of the nation’s top institutes for diabetes care, education, and research. Learn what you should expect when you are referred to Joslin — and how easy it is to become a new patient.
For an appointment or more information, please contact the Asian Clinic Coordinator by e-mail or call (weekdays 8:30am - 5:00 pm).
