Our story

 

During the years of 2002-2004, El Camino Hospital Emergency Department admissions indicated that only 3% of the population served by the hospital were South Asian, but represented a disparate 6% of all acute myocardial infarction (MI) cases. Also, heart disease seemed to be striking South Asians at a younger age and more malignantly than the general population. So in 2006, with the financial support of philanthropists in the South Asian community and the El Camino Hospital Foundation, the South Asian Heart Center was established at the El Camino Hospital as a non-profit response to the epidemic of heart disease striking the urban South Asian population. Today, the Center helps the South Asian community (people who originate from the Indian subcontinent countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) reduce the incidence of heart disease and diabetes, with its unique and comprehensive AIM to Prevent program.

Our vision
 

To be the leader in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in South Asians.

The Center's Mission is to reduce the high incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in South Asians with a culturally appropriate lifestyle approach, and through community awareness, education, screening, coaching, and research.

Our Strategic Initiatives

The Center's strategic initiatives are designed to provide best in class, evidence-based, lifestyle-centric, risk reduction methodology to South Asians and their physicians.

 
  • Be where South Asians are.
  • Build relationships in the South Asian community to raise awareness of the health disparity.
  • Promote the Center as the "family's defense to the epidemic".
  • Seek our participants’ commitment to help those in their sphere of influence -- family members, friends, co-workers, employees, professional, religious, and cultural affiliates -- enhance lifestyles and reduce risk.
  • Co-locate South Asian Heart Centers in urban areas with large South Asian populations.
  • Include effective, affordable, minimally-invasive, emerging/advanced screenings and innovative lifestyle management technologies to prevent disease to enhance health and longevity.
  • Track sustained improvement in lifestyle and risk reduction in program participants.
  • Increase the community of trained, collaborating, and referring physicians and healthcare organizations.
  • Create a formal network of physicians affiliated with the Center.
  • Provide physicians with practice guidelines and culturally appropriate resources to address the epidemic.
  • Publish risk prediction standards for South Asians in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Study the effectiveness of the Center’s AIM to Prevent program.
  • Examine longitudinal impact of lifestyle changes on morbidity and mortality.
Our accomplishments
 
Involved the community in healthier lifestyle behaviors
AIM to Prevent program participants to-date

AIM to Prevent program participants to-date

Achieved 150min/wk

Achieved 150min/wk
physical activity target

Reached 4 servings of vegetables/day target

Reached 4 servings of
vegetables/day target

 
Reduced heart disease risk in AIM to Prevent program participants
Improved cholesterol ratios

Improved cholesterol ratios

Bettered tricglyceride levels

Bettered tricglyceride levels

Identified with previously undiagnosed hypertension

Identified with previously undiagnosed hypertension

 
Engaged physicians and medical groups
Physicians trained on epidemiology

Physicians trained on epidemiology

Collaborating physicians referring patients to Center

Collaborating physicians
referring patients to Center

Established partnership with PAMF

Established partnership
with PAMF

 
Published Research
  • Collaborated with Stanford, UCSF and PAMF research programs
  • Presented posters at ACC, ADA, and AHA conferences
  • Published in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, Diabetes and Vascular Research, International Journal of Cardiology, and Ethnicity and Disease
Awards
  • U.S. Congress Award of Distinction (2012)
  • Santa Clara County Asian Heroes Award (2012, 2013)
  • Association of Fundraising Professionals Award (2009, 2013)
  • Our team
     

    South Asian Heart Center
    was created and is supported in part by:

    • ashish
    • cesar
    • anita
    • leela
    • prajakta
    • sukanya
    • Shubha
    • cecile-currier
    • erika
    • danni
    • jai
    • gira
    • geeta
    • carla
    • maithili
    • steven
     

    South Asian Heart Center
    was created and is supported in part by:

     

Contact us

 
 

South Asian Heart Center

El Camino Hospital

Melchor Pavilion, Suite 302,
2490 Hospital Drive,
Mountain View, CA 94040

777 Knowles Drive, Suite 17A
Los Gatos, CA 95032

  • Contact Us by Phone
    650.940.SAHC (650.940.7242)
  • Contact Us by Fax
    650.966.9269
  • Contact Us by Email
    sahc@elcaminohealth.org

  • Media Queries
  • Contact Us by Emailmedia@elcaminohealth.org
  • El Camino Hospital Foundation
  • Contact Us by Phone
    650.940.7154
    Contact Us by Fax 650.940.7144

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