Established at Holy Name Medical Center in January 2008, the Korean Medical Program (KMP) was developed to address the gaps in language and culturally appropriate health care services of the Korean-American population in the greater New York and New Jersey area. Since its inception, the Korean Medical Program has actively provided medical care, resources, educational lectures, language services, and community outreach programs to more than 45,000 Korean-American people each year. The number of annual patient visits to Holy Name and the KMP's satellite locations in Closter and Englewood Cliffs has more than doubled over the program's first year.
When it started, the KMP had 35 Korean-American physicians, seven staff members, and a handful of volunteers. Today, 85 doctors, including primary care physicians and doctors who specialize in cardiology, liver disease, oncology, endocrinology, and other disciplines treat thousands of patients. Hundreds of volunteers now assist the staff.
The overwhelming success and expansion of the KMP is a testament to the ongoing needs of this unique and rapidly growing community, one of the fastest growing populations in Bergen County. Korean Americans from much greater distances throughout the tri-state area seek care at Holy Name because of the patient-centric focus on linguistically and culturally sensitive health care services.
The Korean communities served by Holy Name are mostly first-generation immigration families with language and cultural barriers. The program's Korean-friendly customer service and amenities drawn directly from cultural traditions have made Holy Name the Korean community's hospital of choice.