Lay Health Advisors (LHA)

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Asian American women in the U.S. However, Asian American women have much lower rates of breast cancer screening in comparison to other U.S. racial or ethnic populations due to cultural, lingual, and economic barriers.

HAAP’s Lay Health Advisors (LHA) program was created to educate the Asian American community about health issues and the importance of preventative action. This research project aimed to promote breast health care among Asian American women through training community Lay Health Advisors (LHAs) who know how to reach women and provide advice, emotional support, and tangible aid for those who lack access to health care. Funded by grants from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, LHA program developed educational materials and trained lay health advisor. Additionally, they also focused on community outreach and evaluation. This project was designed to institutionalize the most effective support mechanisms within the Asian American community, so that the LHA structure became self-sustaining.

There are now a total of 246 LHAs: 86 Chinese, 76 Japanese, and 84 Vietnamese. Presently, more grants are being secured to further expand the program to cover the Asian Indian, Korean, Filipino, and Hmong communities. The LHA program has proven to be a powerful communication network that has been effectively used to convey vital health information to community members and acts as an invaluable tool for health education.