Feb 17, 2026
In this episode, host Rachel
Huynh (MS3) speaks with Dr. Angela Suen, Dr. Brian Graham, and Dr.
Michael Lee, UCSF physicians who also care for patients at San
Francisco’s Chinese Hospital. They discuss the historic mission of
Chinese Hospital, its legacy as “The People’s Hospital,” and the
importance of its collaboration with UCSF in expanding equitable
and culturally centered care.
The
physicians share how culturally sensitive practices—such as
honoring traditional health beliefs and providing
language-concordant care—help build trust and improve patient
experiences. They offer thoughtful advice to medical trainees who
want to serve Chinese-speaking patients, even without language
fluency, and describe meaningful ways to engage respectfully and
curiously with the Chinatown community.
Grounded in their strong commitment to Chinese
Hospital, their stories illustrate the profound impact of
culturally centered care and the challenges patients encounter
navigating healthcare systems across institutions and cultures. The
conversation concludes with their hopes for the future of Chinese
Hospital and the continued strengthening of community-centered
partnerships.
Join
the UCSF 2026 Alumni
Weekend's "UCSF
Talk: Podcasting Science," which will take place
on Saturday, April 25,
2026 from 3:30–4:20
PM (PDT) at Fisher
Banquet Hall at Mission Bay. Rachel
Huynh will be one of the guest speakers discussing how podcasts
reach global audiences and communicate health science in engaging
ways. The session explores the storytelling, research, and
perspectives behind UCSF-created shows and what makes them
reflective of the UCSF community. You can find the full Alumni
Weekend 2026 schedule here: https://www.ucsfalumniweekend.com/schedule
- Additional Resources:
- Chinese Hospital Website
- UCSF–Chinese Hospital Collaboration:
- Risse, Guenter B. "Translating Western Modernity: The First
Chinese Hospital in
America." Bulletin of the History of Medicine, vol. 85 no. 3, 2011, p. 413-447. Project
MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/bhm.2011.0066. - Chinese Hospital Documentary
Music by Podington Bear, licensed
under CC BY-NC 3.0.