Sonith Peou

He not only conceptualizes events and TV and radio shows, he also contributes a level of perseverance and hard work that are exceptional. Sonith’s effectiveness is the result of his reliability, ability to mentor others in community work, gentle suggestions that set the tone and contribute to the effectiveness of services and activities, and his broad understanding of community relations, culture and citizen involvement. Nominator

Community Health Leaders
2009

Area of Expertise:
Access to Care

Leader's Biography 2009:
Sonith Peou is the program director of Metta Health Center, in Lowell, Massachusetts. Since arriving in the United States as a refugee from the Khmer Rouge, in Cambodia, he has completed training as a nursing assistant and learned English at night. He has worked to ensure the availability of culturally competent services for Southeast Asian immigrants in Lowell, Mass., helping them to become healthy, economically independent citizens. Peou helped to establish the Metta Health Center, an initiative of the Lowell Community Health Center, and he designed the facility to look like a clinic in Cambodia. He staffed it with native Cambodian speakers and incorporated elements of Eastern medicine that are more traditional in Asian countries. Today, the Metta Health Center provides culturally competent health care services to thousands of Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese. Like other community clinics, the center focuses on preventive care.

Where this Leader can be reached today:
Program Director
Metta Health Center
135 Jackson Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: (978) 441-1700 (office); (781) 244-2568 (cell)
Fax: (978) 446-0248
E-mail: SonithPE@lchealth.org
Website: www.lchealth.org/Metta.shtml