Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 19, 2025
Sambo Ly Wins KPIX Icon Award for Lifelong Service to Refugees
TLDR
- Sambo Ly's leadership at Alameda Health System demonstrates how effective language access services can provide a competitive advantage in healthcare by reaching diverse patient populations.
- Alameda Health System's interpreter services department handles 2000 daily requests across 100 languages using in-house interpreters for 10 languages and remote access for 300 languages.
- Sambo Ly's work ensures equitable healthcare access for refugees and immigrants, making the world better by eliminating language barriers that prevent proper medical care.
- A genocide survivor now leads interpreter services at Alameda Health System, helping thousands communicate with doctors while preserving Cambodian culture through dance and community events.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it underscores the critical importance of language access in healthcare, particularly in diverse communities like Alameda County, where language barriers can prevent patients from receiving equitable care. Ly's work ensures that thousands of non-English speakers can communicate effectively with their providers, reducing medical errors and improving health outcomes. Her personal story of survival and service inspires broader discussions about resilience, immigrant contributions, and the need for inclusive policies in public health systems, reminding readers of the human impact behind systemic efforts to bridge cultural and linguistic divides.
Summary
Sambo Ly, manager of interpreter services at Alameda Health System (AHS), has been honored with the prestigious Icon Award from Bay Area news station KPIX for her decades of transformative work serving refugees and community members in Alameda County. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities, and Ly's story is particularly compelling—she survived the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia as a child, an experience that inspired her lifelong dedication to healthcare and language access. Under her leadership, AHS's interpreter services department handles approximately 2,000 daily requests across 100 languages, ensuring that patients with limited English proficiency can communicate effectively with their providers.
Ly's department provides in-house interpretation in 10 languages and offers remote access to interpreters in up to 300 languages, continuously innovating with tools like iPads to enhance patient-provider communication. Her personal journey from trauma to triumph fuels her commitment; after refugee workers helped her family escape Cambodia, she joined AHS and dedicated her life to supporting immigrants, refugees, and underserved communities. Beyond her professional role, Ly organizes cultural events like the annual Cambodian New Year—the largest such event in the Bay Area—teaches traditional dance, assists with citizenship paperwork, and supports Buddhist elders, embodying a holistic approach to community service.
AHS CEO James Jackson praised Ly, noting that language access is a cornerstone of their mission and that her leadership ensures no patient is left behind due to language barriers. Ly humbly accepted the award, emphasizing the critical role of her team in providing compassionate care and acknowledging that language barriers can be an invisible disability. Her story, featured by KPIX reporter Sharon Chin, highlights resilience, equity in healthcare, and the power of community support, making her a true icon in the Bay Area.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by Noticias Newswire. Read the original source here, Sambo Ly Wins KPIX Icon Award for Lifelong Service to Refugees
