Camden, NJ -- September 2, 2004 -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, under New Jersey Health Initiatives, has awarded BPSOS-Camden a three year, $324,000 grant for Health Awareness Program for Immigrants (HAPI). This new grant will dramatically expand the successful pilot project throughout the Camden community.

For the past year, BPSOS-Camden implemented the HAPI pilot project to reduce the risks of cervical cancer and breast cancer among Vietnamese American women. To date, we have successfully screened over 40 women in partnership with Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey and the Camden County Cancer Screening Project. The project provides culturally appropriate outreach and education to the local community.

"This grant will allow us to not only reach out to Vietnamese women who are unaware of their risk of cervical and breast cancer, but also provide them individual support and encouragement to have Pap smears and mammograms," stated Alissa Johnston, BPSOS’ Women’s Health Program Manager.

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang, Executive Director for BPSOS added, “This is a great opportunity for us and our local partners to make a difference for hundreds of underserved, under-studied women. This project uses a systematic approach to identify the target population, assess their needs and barriers, and provide individualized assistance to help them access screening. The same model, once proven, can be replicated to other similar communities nationwide.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, NJ, is the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grant making in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse – tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.