Winnie joined SHARE in October, 2022 as the first Chinese SHARE Program Director. We are thrilled to welcome her to the SHARE family, and excited that she will bring SHARE’s programs to Chinese-speaking women and families in New York City, and across the country.
Winnie possesses a rare combination of experience and expertise ideal for this new position. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as being a certified medical interpreter with a master's degree in translation. Before coming to SHARE, Winnie had 15 years of healthcare industry experience serving Chinese patients, including roles at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, NYU Langone, Visiting Nurse Service of NY, and St Vincent's Hospital's Asian Services Department.
In her previous positions, Winnie notes, “I spent so much time talking to patients. Because of the language barrier and culture shock, everything is challenging - even finding a painkiller at the drugstore can be difficult.”
All of Winnie’s skills will help her in her new role at SHARE, launching support, education and outreach programs for the Chinese-speaking community. Winnie is a native of Hong Kong who came to NYC as a young woman, returned to Hong Kong for graduate school, and has now settled in Rego Park, Queens. Her experiences make her particularly adept at understanding and communicating with Chinese-speaking women and families.
Touched by the mission, Winnie originally came to SHARE hoping to volunteer, but applied for the Chinese SHARE position when she saw it was open. Winnie’s focus is clear - “I joined SHARE to help patients.” She is now working on building out the department, and training other Chinese-speaking women to offer a range of services, particularly peer support.
Winnie observes “When patients are first diagnosed they don’t want to talk about it, and they don’t know what to do. As soon as they are able to talk to other patients it eases their tension, and they start to open up.” As a result “My first priority is recruiting volunteers, especially for the helpline.”
In her leisure time, Winnie is an avid movie-goer and foodie who enjoys the diverse cuisine of her home borough of Queens. She is also a keen traveler and hopes to travel to the Arctic Circle one day. Welcome to SHARE, Winnie!
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