History – CACCC

The Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care, the only organization in the nation devoted to end-of-life concerns in the Chinese community, is an active working coalition of over 80 organizations and a total of almost 1400 individuals.

The CACCC was formed in December 2005 to address the lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate end-of-life information and training available to the Chinese community and those who serve it. The CACCC incorporated in 2007, and achieved 501c3 tax-exempt status in the same year. A Board of Directors - 15 dedicated volunteers - sets policy for the organization. It uses the facilities of its member organizations for trainings and meetings. The coalition’s focus is helping Chinese Americans with advance care planning, assisting with palliative care and pain management, providing respite and hospice volunteer training, targeting education for members of the Chinese-American community, and meeting the critical need of educating health care professionals who serve Chinese Americans.

2019

Held 33 Heart to Heart® Cafes, conducted 17 volunteer meetings and trainings, participated in 17 professional healthcare trainings and forums, held 13 AHCP presentations, and participated 11 health fairs.
March 2019: Partnered with Alhambra Hospital to launch a new Patient Ambassador Program in Alhambra CA.
April 2019: CACCC Founder Sandy Chen Stokes was invited to present at the National Academies' Public Workshop on Improving Access to and Equity of Care for People with Serious Illness in Washington DC.
April 13, 2019: CACCC in honor of National HealthCare Decisions Day, held an Advance Care Planning program: “Starting the Conversation” in Mountain View CA, which included AARP’s “What’s your end-of-life wish?” video, The Conversation Project Starter Kits and CCCC Decision Aids.
May 2019: CACCC, one of the four charitable organizations supported by the Chinese Cancer Memorial Foundation, received $125,000 from the proceeds from Tsai Chin concert.
June 2019: Invited by the Hope Project to conduct trainings and attend workshops in Wuhan, China.
July 2019: CACCC conducted a 30-hour Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer training and hosted “When East Meets West”, a Professional Cultural Competency Forum in New York.
September 2019: CACCC Founder Sandy Chen Stokes, RN, MSN, named one of the 12 "Next Avenue’s 2019 Influencers in Aging".
September 6, 2019: CACCC partnered with AACI to present a professional healthcare workshop: Advanced Care Planning: How to Start the Conversation.
October 2019: Partnered with Zen Caregiving Project, formerly Zen Hospice Project to develop a Chinese Mindful Self-Care for Caregivers Training curriculum. The course will be available for caregivers October 2020.
October 2019: CACCC conducted 3 successful Heart to Heart® Cafés with AHCD introduction at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center during the Reimagine San Francisco.

2018

Held 22 Heart to Heart® Cafes, participated in 5 Health Fairs, held 9 ACP presentations, conducted 24 volunteer meetings and trainings, participated in 8 professional trainings, hosted 4 professional forums and held 2 fundraising dinners.
March 2018: Presented Compassion in Action, a series of educational and fundraising events held in Northern and Southern California from March 14 – March 18 in celebration of 12 years of community service. Educational programs included professional healthcare forums, community events and fundraising dinners.
March 2018: Conducted its Healthcare Professional Training and Heart to Heart® Café Facilitator Training at Boston Senior Home Center, Boston MA
April 2018: Invited by Hope Project to conduct trainings in China (Wuhan Cancer Hospital, Wuhan Union Hospital and Wuhan Tongji Hospital) on April 22 – 24. Two Heart to Heart® Cafes were held at the Wuhan Cancer Hospital.
July 2018: Provided ACP presentation and Heart to Heart® Cafe to Zen Hospice Project volunteers. In return, CACCC volunteers received Mindful Caregiver Education at Zen Hospice Project.
September 2018: Partnered with AARP-AAPI’s Vulnerable Conversation Series: End of Life Storytelling Campaign to produce five videos that were released on AAPR/AAPI Facebook in October and November.
October 2018: Hosted 2 Professional Forums: Compassion in Action – When East Meets West - in Sacramento and San Francisco.
October – November 2018: Participated in the Reimagine New York Event, as well as conducted one Heart to Heart® Facilitator Training and hosted 5 Heart to Heart® Cafes.

2017

March 2017: CACCC Founder and Board Chair Sandy Chen Stokes was presented with the 2017 Compassionate Care Innovator Award for her extraordinary role in improving the quality of advance care planning and palliative care in California at the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California (CCCC) 9th Annual Summit held in Sacramento, CA. Sandy was one of the 2017 Summit Leadership Award honorees selected by the CCCC.
April 2017: CACCC hosted its first “Saying Goodbye With Love” Essay Contest in recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day (April 16). CACCC received 9 entries in English and 11 entries in Chinese
May 2017: CACCC began providing one-on- one assistance to Allied Pacific IPA patients and the general public to help them understand their end-of- life wishes, learn how to discuss their wishes with their family and doctor, and receive help in filling out the AHCD through regular office hours at CACCC’s office in El Monte, as well as at Allied Pacific Wellness Centers in Alhambra, Arcadia, and City of Industry. CACCC will also provide Annual Retreat Education for Allied Pacific IPA physicians and will work with Allied Pacific IPA to produce four End of Life TV episodes.
June 2017: CACCC partnered with 9 agencies to provide its 5 th 30-hour Chinese Hospice and Palliative Volunteer Training Program in Chinese and English with simultaneous interpretation in Sacramento, CA. There were 23 participants.
June 2017: UChannel TV aired informative interviews in Chinese with CACCC Founder and Board Chair Sandy Chen Stokes regarding end-of- life issues including the Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) and the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form.
July 2017: CrossingsTV began regularly airing “Community Inspiration: Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care,” a 2½ minute introduction to CACCC, which continued throughout the third quarter of 2017.

2016

Participated in 12 community outreach health fairs, presented at 5 professional trainings, provided 15 Advance Care Planning presentations, conducted 9 volunteer trainings and facilitated 58 Heart to Heart® Cafés.
Held three “Kathy & Windy” Premieres and Panel Discussions in Mountain View, Sacramento and Rosemead. “Kathy & Windy” is a documentary film produced by CACCC, featuring a mother and daughter facing death.
Completed a grant from the PAMF Community Health Care Endowment Fund to do community outreach from June to December 2016.
Received a grant from SCAN Health Plan to do community outreach from July 2016 to June 2017.
Worked with the Nous Foundation to help them make culturally appropriate videos for the U.S. Mandarin speaking population.
Held the 2016 Volunteer Appreciation Party in Southern California.

2015

Participated in several community outreach health fairs, presented at 10 professional trainings, provided 10 Advance Care Planning presentations, conducted 10 volunteer trainings and facilitated 45 Heart to Heart® Cafés.
Completed grants from the PAMF Community Health Care Endowment Fund, the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California and the California HealthCare Foundation.
Held CACCC’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Fundraising Event. Keynote speakers from Taiwan: Dr. Co-Shi Chantal Chao, RN, PhD and Grace Pao Fang Chang.
Other 10th Anniversary Events included: Health Professional Forums, Public Forums, a 30-Hour End of Life Care Training and a one-day Volunteer Training.

2014

Presented at 11 professional trainings, provided 3 Advance Care Planning presentations, conducted 1 volunteer training and facilitated 48 Heart to Heart® Cafes.
Completed grants from the PAMF Community Health Care Endowment Fund, HealthCare Partners, Methodist Hospital in Southern California and the Saint Francis Foundation.
Held one 30-Hour Hospice & Palliative Care Volunteer Training at Methodist Hospital in Southern California.

2013

Participated in 10 community outreach health fairs, presented at 3 professional trainings, provided 9 Advance Care Planning presentations, and conducted 7 volunteer trainings.
Completed grants from the PAMF Community Health Care Endowment Fund, Dignity Health, and Coalition for Compassionate Care of California.
Published the book “Learning to Let Go: Saying Goodbye Peacefully”
Began the “Kathy & Windy” documentary film project.
Held a fundraising event in the Bay Area.

2012

Participated in 5 community outreach health fairs, presented at 12 professional trainings, provided 16 Advance Care Planning presentations and conducted 6 volunteer trainings.
Completed grants from the PAMF Community Health Care Endowment Fund, Coalition for Compassionate Care of California and the California HealthCare Foundation.
Held CACCC’s second Hospice and Palliative Care volunteer trainings in San Francisco.
Revised and conducted extended outreach on using POLST and the Advance Health Care Directive.
Publishing separate Chinese and English editions of our first book on end of life issues, Learning to Let Go: Saying Goodbye Peacefully.

2011

Presented at 8 professional training, provided 5 Advance Care Planning presentations and conducted 3 volunteer training.
Conducted a 30-hour Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer training in Northern California at El Camino Hospital in Mt. View and at City of Hope National Medical Center in Southern California - the nation’s first Hospice Volunteer Training Workshops in Chinese. The project was funded by a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation.
CACCC, one of the three charitable organizations supported by the Chinese Cancer Memorial Foundation, received $41,200 from the proceeds of the Tsai Chin concert.
CACCC conducted its second formal fundraiser, Voices of Life in the Fall, raising over $100,000.

2010

Participated in community outreach health fairs, presented at 6 professional trainings, provided 17 Advance Care Planning presentations and conducted 2 volunteer trainings.
Developed the curriculum for the Chinese Hospice Volunteer Training Program.
AARP Inspire Awards: CACCC founder and Executive Director Sandy Chen Stokes was one of the ten nationwide receiving the award, along with Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Warren, Joy Behar, Tony Danza, and Henry Winkler. The award "salutes outstanding individuals who are using their energy, creativity and passion to make the world a better place."

2009

Presented at 5 professional trainings, provided 3 Advance Care Planning presentations and conducted 1 volunteer training.
Revised and edited the UCSF Chinese Easy California Advance Health Care Directive Form for immediate use in the Chinese community.
Translated the POLST form into Chinese.
Produced Hospice Foundation of America's first-ever Chinese/English Journeys issue, a publication on overcoming guilt related to caring for a dying loved one.
Completed grant from Stanford Geriatric Education Center.
Held 4th Anniversary Celebration Fundraising Event.

2008

CACCC held 3 community outreaches, conducted 3 ACP presentations and 20 professional trainings for health providers throughout the United States.
Completed grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Endowment Fund.
Received grant from Stanford Geriatric Education Center
CACCC received Kaiser’s David Lawrence Community Service Award, an annual national award. The CACCC was one of only four community organizations in the nation to receive this special recognition and the $10,000 award that accompanied it.
CACCC, one of the three charitable organizations supported by the Chinese Cancer Memorial Foundation, received funding from the proceeds of the Tsai Chin concert.

2007

CACCC participated 4 community outreaches, provided 14 ACP presentations, presented at 15 professional trainings and conducted 5 volunteer trainings.
CACCC was incorporated in California as a nonprofit.
CACCC received 501C3 tax-exempt status and is eligible to receive tax deductible donations and grants.
Received grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation

2006

CACCC held 2 end-of life community outreach events for Chinese Americans in the South Bay.
First Volunteer & Caregiver End of Life Training at Kaiser Medical Center, Santa Clara, conducted under an ACSCCU mini grant: 99 participants

2005

The CACCC was formed in December 2005 to address the lack of linguistically and culturally appropriate end-of-life information and training available to the Chinese community and those who serve it.