Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu – Transforming the health of Asian Americans through education and training

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Editor's Note:

A photo of Dr. Tsu Yin Wu
Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu – Professor and PhD Program Director for School of Nursing
A photo of Dr. Tsu Yin Wu

Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu – Professor and PhD Program Director for School of Nursing

Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu, Professor & PhD Program Director for EMU’s School of Nursing is also currently directing the Healthy Asian Americans Project (HAAP). HAAP’s mission is to promote health and well-being as well as reduce health disparities among Asian Americans.

Over the past nine years, HAAP has benefitted thousands of Asian Americans in Michigan by providing health education as well as screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer and other chronic illnesses.

HAAP utilizes bilingual, trained “navigators” to deliver culturally-sensitive breast health information to educate women and increase screening behaviors. Additionally, HAAP’s navigators helped more than 2,000 Asian individuals and families (most of which were uninsured) obtain quality health care plans since the beginning of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s open enrollment period in 2014.

In 2012, HAAP successfully replicated the Lay Health Advisor Model and trained volunteers to become breast health awareness champions in their communities and promote screening in China and Taiwan. Over 300 HAAP trained Chinese physicians implemented evidence-based breast cancer screening guidelines resulting in more than 120,000 women receiving breast cancer screening.

As a Michigan Asian Pacific Americans Affairs Commissioner and Director of the Healthy Asian Americans Project, Dr. Tsu-Yin Wu is committed to transforming policy and improving health outcomes through advocacy, community collaboration, and research. Wu’s recent fundings include $90,445 from Susan G. Komen for the Cure to implement Phase II of breast cancer education and screening projects in Xi’An, China and $101,145 with CMS navigator grant for ACA enrollment.