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Vietnamese American Service Center reports growing demand; leaders recommend model for other place-based centers
Summary
County leaders told the committee the Vietnamese American Service Center’s first annual impact report shows strong growth across medical, behavioral health, dental and senior nutrition services and highlighted the center’s role as a culturally tailored, co-located hub.
The Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC) presented its first annual impact report to the Santa Clara County Children, Seniors and Families Committee on Feb. 27, with department leaders reporting growth across medical, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, laboratory and senior nutrition services.
Hani Tran, senior manager at VASC, and partner leaders from behavioral health and ambulatory care described the center as a co-located, culturally and linguistically tailored hub that served thousands of clients in fiscal year 2024. Behavioral health leaders reported serving more than 3,600 individuals in FY24 with more than 300 new clients; ambulatory care leaders said medical, dental and pharmacy volumes rose and that the center’s integrated model is producing improved quality metrics — including lower no-show rates compared with other clinics in the system. Pharmacy volumes rose by about 78% year-over-year, the presenters said, and the center provides immunizations and services to patients who are not paneled elsewhere in the county system.
The senior nutrition program at VASC, launched in December 2021, now offers indoor congregate dining and meal pick-up six days a week, including culturally appropriate Vietnamese vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and home-delivered meals to homebound older adults; presenters reported the site serves roughly 500 meals daily. Community engagement at VASC has included holiday events, Lunar New Year celebrations and an annual hallmark event that drew about 1,900 attendees.
Supervisors commended VASC as a model of place-based, co-located services that could be replicated in other communities. Committee members asked staff to include outreach metrics and ZIP-code-based service-area data in the next semiannual status report so the board can track where clients originate and consider how the model might be expanded or adapted to other high-need communities.
Ending
The committee voted to receive the VASC report and requested that future status reports include outreach efforts and service-area ZIP-code data; the motion carried on a recorded voice vote (Vice Chair Young: yes; Chair Arenas: yes). Presenters said they will provide semiannual updates on the center’s performance.
