Over the past 24 years, Mr. Changvang Her has been involved in the Hmong community as a healthcare interpreter, cultural broker and director of several programs for the Merced-based nonprofit Healthy House. Mr. Her currently directs language service projects and its \"Partners in Healing Project,\" which works to create more understanding between physicians and Hmong shamans in the Central Valley. Mr. Her facilitates home visits that allow Western doctors to observe traditional ceremonies, and he shares information about shaman tools, altars and the cultural meanings of traditional practices.
Art Sponseller is president and chief executive officer of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, a nonprofit hospital and health system trade association representing 190 hospitals in 50 of California's 58 counties -- from Kern County to the Oregon border. The Hospital Council's membership includes hospitals and health systems ranging from small, rural hospitals to large, urban medical centers. The Hospital Council works to influence state and federal legislation and regulatory issues.
