Kaying Hang, senior vice president of programs and partnerships at Sierra Health Foundation and president of The Center, was recognized among The Sacramento Bee’s Top 20 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Change Makers.
“I’m deeply honored to be recognized among this amazing cohort of AAPI leaders, who are championing a better future across Sacramento and beyond,” Kaying said.
Originally from Minnesota’s Twin Cities, Kaying is the oldest of seven children in a refugee Hmong family dedicated to social justice and racial equity. These values motivated her to serve as state coordinator of the Refugee Health Program for the Minnesota Department of Health, and as assistant regional coordinator for the Refugee and Immigrant Health Program for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. She continued her health equity work in the field of philanthropy, including serving as associate director for Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees.
For Kaying, coming to Sierra Health Foundation in 2013 felt like “[I] came back to my roots in public health, working with the safety net and with health systems,” she told The Sacramento Bee. “Our focus is unapologetically on health equity. It’s the way we work, live, play and pray.”
In her role, Kaying is responsible for strategic program and partnership development, overseeing management of the Foundation’s and The Center’s programs and initiatives in Sacramento and throughout the state, including Stop the Hate, launched in partnership with the California Department of Social Services to protect Asian American, Pacific Islander and other communities from hate crimes. She also played a pivotal role in establishing the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund, a partnership of over 200 philanthropic and nonprofit partners working for health equity across key issues in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
Kaying seeks to inspire the next generation in her role as a bilingual and bicultural leader. To this end, Kaying serves on Sacramento State University’s Project Hmong, which encourages Hmong students to pursue higher education.
“My parents have instilled in me the value of and strength in community,” said Kaying. “I am humbled to do incredibly powerful work with community every day.” Read about 19 additional AAPI change makers at the Sacramento Bee website.
Sierra Health Foundation forges new paths to promote health, racial equity, and racial justice in partnership with communities, organizations, and leaders in 26 counties in Northern California.