AHS Interpreter Services Manager Sambo Ly Receives KPIX Icon Award for Decades of Community Service
TL;DR
Sambo Ly's leadership at Alameda Health System demonstrates how effective language access services can provide a competitive advantage in healthcare by reaching diverse patient populations.
Alameda Health System's interpreter services department handles 2000 daily requests across 100 languages using in-house interpreters for 10 languages and remote access for 300 languages.
Sambo Ly's work ensures equitable healthcare access for refugees and immigrants, making the world better by eliminating language barriers that prevent proper medical care.
A genocide survivor now leads interpreter services at Alameda Health System, helping thousands communicate with doctors while preserving Cambodian culture through dance and community events.
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Sambo Ly, Alameda Health System’s manager of interpreter services, has been awarded the Icon Award from Bay Area news station KPIX in recognition of her decades of service to refugees and community members in Alameda County. The Icon Award highlights individuals who have made significant and impactful contributions to their community, with KPIX reporter Sharon Chin interviewing Ly about her childhood in Cambodia, survival of the Khmer Rouge genocide, and current work serving safety-net patients at Alameda Health System. Watch the story here.
Ly leads AHS’ interpreter services department, which handles approximately 2,000 interpreter requests daily across 100 different languages from patients needing assistance communicating with healthcare providers. Alameda County stands as one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse counties in the United States, with many AHS patients arriving with limited English proficiency. The department provides in-house interpretation in 10 languages, either in person or remotely, and offers access to on-demand, remote interpreters for up to 300 languages. Continuous innovation includes the recent introduction of iPads that enable clearer patient-provider conversations.
AHS CEO James Jackson emphasized that language access serves as a cornerstone of their mission of caring, healing, teaching, and serving all. Jackson stated, "Sambo’s leadership and compassion ensure that no patient is left behind because of a language barrier. Her story reflects the resilience of our community and the values that guide us every day at AHS. We are incredibly proud of her and the entire interpreter services team for making care more equitable for everyone we serve."
Ly’s dedication stems from her personal history of immense suffering and resilience. As children, she and her brother were sent to a forced labor camp, where her brother disappeared after asking her to mend his pants, never to be seen again. Falling ill with malaria, Ly witnessed ill people swarmed with flies in a hospital, fueling her determination to survive and inspiring her healthcare career. Refugee workers assisted Ly and her family in leaving Cambodia for the United States, where she joined AHS and dedicated her life to helping fellow refugees, immigrants, and underserved communities.
Beyond her professional role, Ly organizes weekly traditional Cambodian dance classes at her home for girls, has assisted thousands with citizenship paperwork, drives Buddhist elders and monks to temples across California, serves as Board Chair of Peralta Hacienda Park, and has organized the annual Cambodian New Year for 15 years—the largest Cambodian event in the Bay Area. Ly expressed humility upon receiving the KPIX Icon Award, noting, "I know from my own experience that having a language barrier is an invisible disability. Once I had the opportunity to work at Alameda Health System, I saw an opportunity to give back to my community. I’m honored that this work is being recognized by KPIX, and I want to recognize my dedicated coworkers in the interpreter services department who provide compassionate language assistance to our patients and make a difference in their lives every day."
Curated from Noticias Newswire
