LANtern (Lupus Asian Network)

535 East 70th St.
New York, NY 10021
212-774-2508 phone
212-472-6530 fax
ngk@hss.edu email
http://rheumatology.hss.edu/pat/eduSupport/LANtern.asp website

Area of Interest:
Organization - Lupus support & education program

Primary Ethnic Community Served:
Chinese

Description:
The mission of LANtern is to support, empower, and enhance the quality of life of Asian-Americans with lupus and their families by creating networks of hope and understanding.

We offer free telephone support and counseling by trained peer health educators. Clients can call the toll-free LANtern Support Line 866.505.2253 to speak to a bilingual counselor (Cantonese or Mandarin-speaking counselors are available) who can help answer questions about lupus. These volunteers each have personal experiences with lupus and provide confidential peer support.

We provide culturally specific and language appropriate peer health education. Our award-winning bilingual booklet "What Chinese-Americans and their Families Should Know About Lupus" is written in a culturally sensitive way and addresses specific issues, both medical and psychosocial, identified as culturally relevant to the Chinese community. Booklets are available free of charge.

We educate the professional and general community about lupus. The goal is to enhance access, communication, and understanding among relevant health providers, patients, and community resources about lupus and its impact in Asian-American community. We are available for educational presentations.

LANtern is offered by the Hospital for Special Surgery in collaboration with The S.L.E. Foundation, Inc., Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Chinese Community Partnership for Health at NYU Downtown Hospital, Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU School of Medicine. Generous funding from Rheuminations, Inc. has made this program possible.

Volunteers are welcome.

Staff:
Karen Ng, Program Coordinator

Submitted by:
Karen Ng

New - 03/23/04