One Language

To Reach Understanding

Return to Annual Index

Clear communication is fundamental to effective medical care. The ability to speak the same language is the first step to building a strong relationship between doctor and patient. For years, Camino Medical Group (CMG) has served a patient population that includes many people for whom English is a second language, which is why more than 75 of CMG's 200 physicians are multilingual.

Dr. Galina Balon attended a leading medical school in St. Petersburg, Russia, and came to America in 1989 as a refugee with her husband and 2-year-old daughter. She joined CMG in 1994, and today nearly 20 percent of her patients speak Russian as their first language. "In Russia, people never go to the doctor for prevention or screening," she said, "so it's hard for them to adjust to the way we practice medicine in the United States." Dr. Balon often treats multiple generations of the same family, where the grandparents speak only Russian, the grandchildren speak only English, and the parents have a foot in each culture. "I am like a bridge to translate the American medical culture for my patients," she explained. "By speaking their language, I can carry them across that bridge so they feel safer."

Dr. Anu Kottapalli, who attended medical school in India, speaks three Indian languages: Telugu, Hindi and Kannada. "In India, physicians are an integral part of the social community," she said. "You don't just pay them for their opinion; they act as advisors to the entire family." Today, nearly half of Dr. Kottapalli's patients are originally from India - many first came to the area to work at high-technology companies - so she has ample opportunity to apply her language skills. "There will always be a role for multilingual physicians," she said, "because communication is the foundation for trust in the doctor-patient relationship."

Dr. Edward Yu was born in the United States, but moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was 6 and lived there until he was 16. As a child, Dr. Yu spoke both English and Mandarin at home and attended a school that was part of the British educational system. By the time he returned to the United States, he also spoke Cantonese. "When I graduated from medical school, I knew I wanted to practice in a multicultural setting," he explained, "so the Los Altos office of Camino Medical Group was a perfect place for me."

Allan and Ophelia Chan, long-time patients of Dr. Yu, appreciate the care they receive. "The fact that Dr. Yu speaks our language is very important," said Allan. "If we can't understand certain medical terms, he can explain them to us in Cantonese. He treats us like family, and that makes us feel good." As Dr. Yu put it, "Until the whole world speaks one language and shares one culture, there will always be a need for health care providers who understand a multicultural
perspective."


Dr. Albert Wang

Palo Alto Medical Clinic internist Albert Wang was born in Taiwan and came to the United States as a child. Since joining the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Fremont Center in 1989, he has been active in projects that benefit Fremont's Chinese-American community - estimated at nearly 30,000 residents in the 2000 census. In 1996, Dr. Wang established a youth internship program as part of Citizens for Better Community (CBC), a Fremont-based organization comprised of more than 100 Chinese-American families. Today, he chairs the Community Involvement Committee for the CBC, helping to plan fundraising events and
acting as a liaison to city and school officials
on behalf of Chinese-Americans.

Dr. Wang is particularly proud of his work with Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN), a nonprofit organization that serves more than 300 families with developmentally disabled children. "I have a 14-year-old son with autism," explained Dr. Wang, "and it was a real struggle to find help for him when he was younger. So in 1996, my wife and I joined with other parents of autistic children and together we founded FCSN." In June 2004, FCSN broke ground on a $2 million, 6,000-square-foot community center in Fremont that will provide a permanent home for FCSN. "I grew up with the idea that you have a responsibility to make things right in your community," said Dr. Wang. "If I see a way I can help, I do what I can."


Dr. Albert Wang with his son, Lawrence
Back to top