Women in Health Innovation Spotlight: Julia Liou
Julia Liou is a transformative leader in community health, known for her visionary approach to systems change and social justice in health. As the Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services (AHS) based in Oakland, California, she leads a nationally recognized community health center that provides comprehensive medical, dental, and behavioral health services to 50,000 patients in 14 languages. Under Julia’s leadership, AHS has established an AAPI Action Center to support mental health and healing for victims of violence, expansion of dental and mental health care services, and launch cutting-edge virtual care.
Julia is the co-founder of the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, a statewide coalition focused on the health, safety, and rights of nail salon workers, and successfully led the passage of four statewide bills. She currently sits on the Executive Board of the Oakland Thrives Council, serves as Chair of the Alameda Health Consortium, Co-Chair of the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Innovation Council, and as an Executive Board Member of the California Primary Care Association. Her commitment to health care justice continues to drive her efforts to serve vulnerable communities at the local, state, and national levels. Julia received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from the UCLA School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Wellesley College.
1. It appears that your grandfather had a major impact on your joining the Asian Health Services (AHS). Can you tell us a little more?
I always admired my grandfather for his resilience and curiosity for life. He settled in the U.S. from Hong Kong after focusing on earning enough money to send my mother and her sister to seek a better life in the U.S. Living in LA’s Chinatown, my grandfather worked at a community center to help other community members navigate resources and support. He was always enamored with Hollywood films, and I recall whenever we met at dim sum how he would always pull out from his pocket a crumpled paper with a list of movies in which he was an extra in the background and earned $100 a day. If he wasn’t trying to be an extra in some film, he was taking American history classes and workshops to improve his English. Although he could speak English and became a citizen, he still didn’t feel he could effectively communicate about his health concerns in English. He was incredibly fortunate to find a doctor at a community health center who spoke Cantonese. Each time he received care when he was going through challenging health issues, he was met with compassion and dignity. I have always remembered this and wanted to carry forward the support he received to others.
2. AHS has a rich history of supporting underserved communities through community initiatives and inclusive programming. What are you most proud of achieving since becoming CEO in 2022?
I am incredibly proud of our talented, dedicated AHS teams and continue to feel humbled and honored to be working with colleagues and staff who have been at the organization for twenty, thirty, even fifty years. Without the commitment of our leaders and team members, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve the accomplishments we have made in these past three years, including the establishment of an Innovation Hub focused on helping AHS to be at the forefront of leveraging technology and the opening of our biggest Dental Clinic in San Leandro, in the Bay Area. As the first Dental Clinic providing integrated mental health with a dental residency with four specialties, we are excited to be growing a pipeline of dentists who are from the Asian American community. We continue to be in the top 10% in quality of care among community health centers in the U.S. while implementing critical community initiatives that prevent chronic diseases. From mental health and healing support to nutritious food access, I am proud that our teams tailor solutions rooted in and based on our community’s needs.
3. As a member of the National Association of Community Health Centers, you helped to advocate for a federal funding stream that would help with innovation and technology improvements in community health centers across the country. What do you think would make the biggest impact on underserved AAPI communities?
It’s an exciting time with incredible opportunities to leverage AI in a way that can support operational efficiencies and positive health outcomes in today’s tech and AI space. At the same time, guidelines need to be developed to address risks associated with AI. The health tech landscape is accelerating quickly, yet so many platforms and tech applications don’t have medically underserved patients who speak different Asian languages in mind. Opportunities to engage the community in developing and co-designing tech platforms could expand access to digital tools and services designed with cultural nuance.
4. As a leader in health innovation and nonprofits, what is your advice to young people looking to support their communities in a similar way in the future?
I think it’s important to always lean into opportunities to engage with organizations that are doing work that inspires you. Lean into what gets you excited and curious. Get involved and dive in - whether as a volunteer or applying for a position. Reach out to various local leaders and elders and ask them to meet and do an information interview with them. Sometimes the most powerful community work comes from deep listening and humility. Ask questions and learn the history. There is collective wisdom to be shared. We always have to remember that communities are not problems to be fixed- they are people to stand with!
5. What do you see in AHS’s future, and what do you hope your leadership will bring to the AAPI communities?
With the ever-increasing demand for affordable health care services, I want to ensure that AHS continues to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children, families, and seniors. And not just to meet their needs, but to ensure their voice is heard in shaping impactful solutions.
Just in March, we announced the launch of our $15 million capital campaign that will allow us to build a community hub of health care services that will serve generations to come. This will be the LARGEST capital campaign in AHS history! We will be raising the funds to establish a state-of-the-art senior clinic that provides comprehensive care to older adults and empowers them to age with dignity and independence in their own homes. We will also build a new medical center that expands quality health care to another 10,000 patients. But this isn’t just about expanding our facilities. It is about ensuring that no one in our community is left behind.
My dad passed away a few years ago. He often would share this quote to others that I carry close to my heart - “When you fall down, to get up, you must first help others get up.” This is what I still aspire as a leader to do now and in the future - for our patients, our staff, and our community.
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