Episode 23: Dr. Kimberly Chang
“What gives me hope is that we all have a chance to speak up on behalf of someone who can’t—to provide a voice for the underdog, the marginalized, underserved and those without power.”
"Contribute with the skills you have and make a difference."
Dr. Kimberly Chang, Social Activist, Family Doctor, HEAL Trafficking Founder, on fighting for the rights of victims of trafficking and getting them health care
On this International Women's Day, March 8th, 2017, I am honored to share the story of an inspirational social activist, change agent, and policy maker in the Asian American community.
A sixth generation Asian American, Dr. Kimberly Chang is an activist family doctor who has been leading the way for policy change to prevent human trafficking and provide better health care for young Asian girls who have been victims of sex trafficking.
Based at Asian Health Services in Oakland, Dr. Chang is on the forefront of building the capacity of community health centers to care for patients who are at-risk or are being trafficked. She co-founded HEAL Trafficking, an organization acronym that stands for “Health, Education, Advocacy, & Linkage” to help end human trafficking and support its survivors.
Dr. Chang gives a voice to the victims of commercially sexually exploited children and advocates for the rights of the powerless in our communities. She unveils taboo topics and helps shed light on one of the most unfortunate issues facing our society today.
Dr. Chang goes Bold for Change.
Podcast Details
Find out from the podcast how Kimberly:
- Embraced her Asian roots being a sixth generation Asian American in Hawaii
- Became interested in the medical field and how empathy played a role
- Got involved in community health service to serve under-served Southeast Asian teens
- Got her AHA moment one night to advocate for the rights of survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking
- Identifies a child who is at risk for exploitation
- Explains poverty and inequality are leading causes for exploitation
- Advises the Asian American community and her message
"Be able to contribute with the skills you have, the talents you have been given, or the place that you’ve been put in to make a positive difference in the world."- Dr. Kimberly Chang
About Kimberly
Dr. Kimberly S.G. Chang is a family health physician at the Frank Kiang Medical Center, Asian Health Services in Oakland, CA. Dr. Chang provides care for many commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) and is a Co-founder and Steering Committee Member of HEAL Trafficking (Health, Education, Advocacy & Linkage). She was a trainer on CSEC issues for the National District Attorneys Association, and serves on a Technical Working Group for the Administration for Children and Families, to provide a pilot training for health care professionals on human trafficking. Her presentations and publications have focused on cultural competency, human trafficking issues, under-served populations, and global health issues.
r. Chang received her medical degree from the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI in 1999 and completed her family medicine residency at San Francisco General Hospital, the University of California, San Francisco, CA in 2002. Dr. Chang received her Masters in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she was awarded the Dr. Fang-Ching Sun Memorial Award for demonstrated commitment to promoting the health of vulnerable people.