LANtern® (Lupus Asian Network)

Support Programs

LANtern is the Lupus Asian Network - a patient support program at Hospital for Special Surgery

We are a bi-lingual peer health education program. We have trained volunteers - people who have lupus or are family members- who can offer you free telephone support and education.

You can call LANtern from your home or office. You can talk to counselors in Cantonese or Mandarin. You can ask any questions that you may have about lupus.

LANtern hopes to be a guiding light for Asian-Americans with lupus and their families. We want to support, empower, and enhance your quality of life. We seek to create networks of hope and understanding.

LANtern volunteers participate in community events and health fairs. We also offer presentations to increase awareness and education about lupus.

To learn more about LANtern, click on the information sheet below:


Chinese Version
click to enlarge


English Version
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Educational Materials

LANtern offers bilingual (Chinese/English) resources about lupus that address issues important to the Chinese community. Our brochures Lupus: Myths & Facts and Talking About Lupus answer common questions about the disease and encourage patients and their families to learn more.

Click on the images below to view and/or download these brochures:

   
Lupus Myths and Facts (pdf) Talking About Lupus (pdf)
If you were recently diagnosed, our award-winning 20-page booklet What Chinese Americans and Their Families Should Know About Lupus can help you manage the illness with strength and sensitivity.

To request free single copies of this booklet, please contact the Program Coordinator using the contact information provided below.

Download For Inquiring Teens With Lupus: Our Thoughts, Issues, & Concerns (pdf file), a 20-page booklet written by a young woman diagnosed with lupus as a teen. This booklet takes into account some of the specific issues, both medical and psychosocial, relevant to adolescents who are living with lupus. A list of resources for teens with lupus is also included.
Available for download below in Chinese and English.

Chinese (pdf) English (pdf)
When: Start by calling our Program Coordinator between 9:30am - 4:00pm EST on Monday and Tuesday, or between 9:30am - 2:00pm on Thursday and Friday. You can also leave a voice mail message at another time. Tell us when is the best time to reach you.

Your call will be returned by a bilingual counselor. After a screening phone call, you will be matched with a trained volunteer - someone who has lupus or is a family member of someone with lupus. We can provide education and support by phone at times that are best for both of you - daytime, evenings, or weekends.

Contact:

My-Lan Tran, LCSW, Program Coordinator
(212)774-2508
(866)505-2253 outside NYC (toll-free)
tranm@hss.edu

Volunteer and Student Interns: 

LANtern volunteers are needed to assist with peer health education, community outreach, evaluation of programs, and special projects. We are looking for motivated, responsible, and reliable volunteers who will use their experience and talents to enrich the program. We offer a comprehensive peer health educator training that volunteers find very rewarding and personally enriching.

If you are interested in learning about how a chronic illness affects patients and their families, developing cultural competency skills, working with a healthcare team, and making a difference in the Asian American community, contact the Program Coordinator for more information. Bilingual language abilities are preferred but not required.

Hospital for Special Surgery's LANtern Program, made possible through funding by Rheuminations, Inc., reaches out to the communities we seek to serve in cooperation with the following organizations:


The LANtern Advisory Board

Related Resources:

The following list of websites is for general information only. For questions about your health, always consult your personal physician.

Additional Lupus Web Sites

Lupus Related Health Organizations

Government Web Sites with Lupus Information Lupus Information in Chinese Chinese American Medical Sites