Gynecology oncology care – now in Chinatown

or the first time ever, gynecologic oncology patients can now receive care in downtown Manhattan from Columbia University specialists, thanks to a new practice established by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Led by June Hou, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a specialist in gynecologic oncology, the new practice has a team fluent in Chinese to care for the diverse and multi-ethnic Asian diaspora in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood and beyond.

“There’s an untapped need for specialty care in that community,” Dr. Hou said. “Patients are definitely more comfortable seeking care in a community they’re used to navigating, especially when they are dealing with intimidating medical language and fears about their health. There’s an illusion in the medical community that Chinese patients aren’t high risk, but they don’t necessarily see primary care doctors and get the preventative care they need. There’s not less need, it’s just underrecognized.”

Dr. Hou has a deep-rooted interest in serving the Asian American community. She previously cared for a similar diverse population in Flushing, Queens when she was an attending physician in gynecologic oncology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center.

“I have a real connection with this patient population, and having a doctor that speaks their language and is accessible in their community is so important,” Dr. Hou said. “Cancer’s not a topic that we find easy to talk about – it’s almost taboo, or bad luck in many Chinese subcultures, and that extends to cancer prevention care such as genetic screening. In spite of the fact that cancer health is something that people don’t talk about publicly, there’s such a demand for high-quality oncology specialty care.”

In doing outreach and promotion for the new practice site, located at 128 Mott Street, Dr. Hou visited several community centers as well as local clinics, primary care doctors, and obstetrician-gynecologists in the area. She sees value in reaching out to patients through existing relationships and community structures, like community health centers and recreation centers, in order to build trust.

“There’s a very real sense of anti-Asian sentiment that percolates through the lives of many of my patients and I hear from the community, as well as from the patients, what barriers exist and what they are experiencing,” Dr. Hou said. “They don’t want to travel far to get the care they need. They are afraid of the subways. For a renowned institution like Columbia to meet them where they are sends the message to the people in Chinatown and the lower Manhattan community that they matter too. This goes a long way toward reducing health disparities that might be less visible than others.”