The UCLA/MEDTEP Center for Asians and Pacific Islanders joins, in an innovative national consortium, the resources of three community-based agencies (Asian American Health Forum, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations), and the five health-related schools on the UCLA campus (Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Social Welfare, and Dentistry). The UCLA/MEDTEP Center will coordinate the research, training and education, information dissemination, and technical assistance activities related to the Asian and Pacific Islander American (A/PI) population in a three year developmental period, followed by conversion to a full center in the fourth year. The Center will become self-sustaining after a period of five years through development and fundraising efforts. Activities of the proposed UCLA/MEDTEP Center include fundraising and development, baseline needs assessment in research priority areas identified by AHCPR, funding of pilot projects, establishment of a post-doctoral training program, coordination of clinical and training programs between academic and community-based agencies, database development, newsletters, and other information dissemination and technical assistance activities. In addition, the proposed Center will develop a specialty area in geriatrics within the priority areas set by AHCPR, working closely with existing UCLA Centers (Centers on Aging, Borun Center for Gerontological Research, and the UCLA Older Americans Independence Center). The target population will include a diverse range of A/PI ethnicities including Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Koreans, Southeast Asians (Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Hmong) and Pacific Islanders (Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan). The cultural diversity and demographic makeup of Los Angeles makes it an optimal site to develop the UCLA/MEDTEP Center for Asians and Pacific Islanders.
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