Oakland University medical students performed free hepatitis B screenings for about 25 people at a clinic in Madison Heights. Fifteen students from the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB) volunteered at the event, the school announced Monday, Sept. 21.

The students belong to OUWB's chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA). They partnered with the Oakland County Health Department to run the screenings at the Chinese Community Center, during a clinic hosted by Wayne State University's APAMSA chapter.

The state of Michigan covered all costs, according to APAMSA president Emily Xiong, a second-year medical student.

Asian Americans face disproportionate rates of hepatitis B. The CDC estimates one in 12 Asian Americans is chronically infected, compared with one in 1,000 non-Hispanic white Americans. Asian Americans make up more than half of the estimated 2.2 million people living with the virus nationwide, according to the American Liver Foundation.

Xiong said differences between vaccination schedules in China and the United States leave some people unprotected.

"A lot of people can fall through the cracks and be at higher risk … early detection leads to much better health outcomes," Xiong said.

Each screening began with a blood draw. The Oakland County Health Department sent samples to a lab. Results came back about a week later to Oakland University's Graham Health Center, where staff, Xiong and APAMSA vice president Matthew Su processed and mailed them to patients.

Jessica Knapp, a second-year student and APAMSA secretary, said the effort was personal. Knapp is the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant mother and has family members who carried hepatitis without knowing it until they were screened in the United States. She said the clinic showed her how language barriers and limited access to health education keep people from seeking care.

Michael Vu, a second-year student and APAMSA treasurer, said the event helped build trust with the local Chinese community and showed him how direct outreach can overcome barriers to care.

The Chinese Community Center is operated by the Association of Chinese Americans, an organization founded in Detroit in 1972.

OUWB has not announced a follow-up screening date.