County of Orange
Health Care Agency

Behavioral Health Services
Press Release

Juliette A. Poulson, RN, MN
Director

Douglas C. Barton
Deputy Agency Director
Behavioral Health Services

Mailing Address:
405 W. 5th Street
Santa Ana, Ca 92701

E-Mail: PublicInfo@ochca.com

For Immediate Release
AUGUST 7, 2001

Contact: Patricia Lazalde, Ph.D.
(714) 834-0757

Former Cambodian Refugee To Receive Community Service Recognition Award

(Irvine) – A man who once provided care to survivors of the "Killing Fields" in Cambodia will receive the inaugural Community Service Recognition Award at the Orange County Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Services Task Force Conference, August 10 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.

The award for Heat Cheng Leao recognizes his efforts in health and consumer education for Cambodians in Orange County. Heat currently works for the Cambodian Family Agency as a community educator. He is also an active participant in many other organizations, including the Multicultural Outreach Committee, the Alzheimer’s Association of Orange County Speakers Bureau, the Safe Health Care Coalition, the Tobacco Use Prevention Project, the Southeast Asian Archive at UC Irvine, the Tuberculosis Coalition, the Asian Pacific Advisory Council of Orange County and the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance.

Heat was the Chief Veterinary Officer in Cambodia prior to the war, then spent two years in refugee camps after surviving the Pol Pot regime. While in the refugee camps, he was trained by French physicians and ran a clinic to treat his fellow Cambodians. Although the United States is now his home, Heat is participating in the rebuilding efforts in Cambodia. As one of the few remaining authorities on veterinary medicine, Heat has traveled back to Cambodia to teach and develop educational materials.

The goal of the conference, entitled "Developing Multicultural Skills for Community Work," is to provide community service agencies with up-to-date information, education, networking and learning opportunities. For more information about the conference, contact Patricia Lazalde, Ph.D., Chair of the Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Services Task Force, at (714) 834-0757.

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