Despite Asian and Asian American communities being the only ethnic group in the United States whose leading cause of death is cancer and not heart disease (Lee et al., 2021), Asian patients make up only 1.5% of Medicare hospice patients in the United States and that the rate of completed Advanced Directives designating a health agent was “about two to three times lower than that of the general older population.”

Course Fee: FREE

This course offers two hours of continuing education credit for MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and/or LCSWs. Registration Link: http://bit.ly/4nHHnzs

Educational Goals:

This presentation will focus on identifying the disparities in delivering effective End-of-Life (EOL) care for patients in Asian and Asian American (AAA) communities including the areas of advance care planning, palliative care and hospice enrollment, explore clinical considerations for several AAA communities, and make recommendations to optimize psychosocial support for AAA patients and their families when facing End-of-Life.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to

• Participants will learn the historical and cultural context of diverse Asian and Asian American experience and understand at least three inter-cultural and inter-group differences in order to conduct more culturally attuned assessment when working with patients at End-of-Life
• Participants will identify at least three End-of-Life disparities faced by Asian and Asian American patients and families, and three intervention strategies enabling improved access to appropriate EOL care among this population
• Participants will develop better understanding of Asian and Asian American clinician experience during End-of-Life discussions and learn at least two ways to better support colleagues including social workers, nurses, physicians, and other care team members

Instructors:

Ayaka Nakaji, MSW, LCSW, MPH, CCM is a licensed clinical social worker and has served as the oncology care coordinator for Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center Patient and Family Support Program since 2019. Ayaka has practiced in diverse settings including domestic violence advocacy, HIV/AIDS community outreach, and intensive case management. Ayaka has presented on wide range of topics including End-of-life care and Asian American cancer disparities at state and national platforms and was the co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Social Work Council, NASW-California chapter from 2020-2022. Ayaka is passionate about helping patients and their loved ones navigate the complex cancer care continuum. Ayaka received a master’s in social work from University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2011, and a master’s in public health from the University of California, Berkeley in 2025.

Sarah Low, MSN, RN, OCN, CMSRN is an Oncology Nurse Navigator at Cedars-Sinai with 14 years of experience in inpatient hematology-oncology, inpatient hospice, nursing education and outpatient oncology care coordination. She has published articles on a wide variety of topics including interdisciplinary collaboration, nursing quality indicators, and geriatric issues. She also loves to speak on passion topics such as challenges at the End-of-Life, and Asian American healthcare disparities. Sarah is passionate about supporting all patients through the entire care continuum.

Helen Wu, LCSW received her BS in business administration from Pepperdine University. She then went on to receive her Master of Social Work from Baylor University. Helen currently works in the radiation oncology clinic at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she supports patients undergoing active treatment for gynecological and genitourinary cancers. Her research interests include death and dying, cultural considerations within the Chinese community, language impacts on advanced care planning conversations, and intersection of trauma-informed care and radiation therapy treatment.

Kristine Naputo, LCSW is an oncology social worker at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, where she has worked in various roles for over ten years. As a social worker, she supports patients and families navigating the burden of illness through individual counseling, resource navigation, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Kristine has a particular interest in the intersection of palliative care and advocacy of minority communities. In July 2025, she was appointed as DEI Director at the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW). She has also worked closely with the Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-of-Life Care Program (ESPEC). Prior experience at MSKCC included her supervisory role in Clinical Research, in which she oversaw the data and regulatory management of clinical trials. Kristine completed a fellowship at the Zelda Foster Studies Program of Palliative and End-of-Life Care in 2022. She received her MSW at New York University Silver School of Social Work in 2021 and a BS in Public Health at Rutgers University in 2014.

Leena Augustine MSW, LCSW, OSW-C has been a social worker for the last 28 years. Currently she is a certified oncology social worker at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Cancer Center since 2014. Leena is a licensed clinical social worker in both the state of Georgia and Florida. Currently Leena coordinates the support groups at the Cancer center and leads several of the support groups. Leena also works diligently with her patients, caregivers and with the interdisciplinary team in advocating for her patients. She is also involved in several other projects at the Cancer Center. She has also done several presentations re: social work and cancer care.

Leena has had numerous leadership roles including being on the Board of Oncology Social Work Certification as a Board of Director member, she is also on several AOSW committees and has also been on the planning committee for the AOSW conferences. Leena has also written a Chapter in the Oxford Press Oncology and Palliative Social Work book with two other authors. Through her many years as a social worker she has worked in various areas of the healthcare field such as with the elderly, hospice, psychiatric, nursing homes and the hospitals. Leena has had the benefit of working in several different states as well as with different clientele from varied socioeconomic backgrounds.

Leena graduated with her BSW and MSW from Florida International University in Miami Fl. She has also been a field instructor for Social Work students both here in Ga and FL.

For general questions, to request accommodations, or to report grievances, please contact Gale Uchiyama, LCSW, Clinical Manager, at gale@wcrc.org or call 510.809.0216.

 A certificate awarding two (2) CE hours is emailed after completion of the course post-test (min. score 70%) and evaluation form. Course meets the qualifications for two (2) hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists approve Women’s Cancer Resource Center to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. Women’s Cancer Resource Center maintains responsibility for this course and its content.