May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—a time to celebrate the cultures, histories, and contributions of AAPI communities across the United States. From the arrival of Chinese laborers in the 1800s to today’s vibrant and diverse communities, AAPI Americans have played a vital role in shaping our country, despite a long history of exclusion and marginalization (Washington Post).

AAPI in Montgomery County: Who We Are
Asian Americans make up nearly 15% of Montgomery County’s population, one of the highest percentages in Maryland (MoCoPAAN). The community includes a wide range of ethnic groups—including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Filipino, and Nepali residents—and comprises both long-time residents and new immigrants.
Despite this growth and diversity, AAPI communities have long been underserved in public health and human services. In 2021, for example, only 25% of Asian adults with a mental health condition received care—compared to 52% of White adults (KFF). Additionally, AAPI health issues have historically been underfunded in research, accounting for just 0.2% of federal health-related grants between 1986 and 2000 (NIH). These gaps demonstrate the need for intentional, culturally competent investment.

A Historic Commitment from Montgomery County
PCC is proud to have partnered with the Asian American Health Initiative (AAHI), part of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, to launch and grow a suite of grant and capacity-building programs that have significantly advanced health equity for AAPI communities in Montgomery County.
This multi-year partnership reflects a historic commitment by the County to invest multi-million dollars in culturally and linguistically appropriate services—and we are honored to have helped shape and scale this infrastructure.

Turning Investment into Impact: Strengthening the AAPI Community Infrastructure
This historic commitment from Montgomery County is more than just funding—it’s about building lasting infrastructure. At PCC, we’ve translated this investment into direct support for AAPI-serving organizations, helping them not only deliver critical services but also grow their long-term capacity.
Through a combination of grantmaking and hands-on technical assistance, we work side by side with community leaders to strengthen programs, expand reach, and build the tools needed for sustainable impact.
Here’s how we do it:

1. Grantmaking: Fueling Culturally Responsive Services
We provide grants to support programming that reflects the cultural and linguistic needs of diverse AAPI communities. This funding has enabled local organizations to offer everything from healthcare navigation and food distribution to mental health support and anti-hate education.

Grantee Spotlight: Chinese American Community Health Services (CACHS)
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​CACHS is a Healthy Communities Fund grantee dedicated to serving Montgomery County’s Chinese-speaking residents. With the grant funding, they’ve expanded their reach—offering daily communication assistance, English classes, transportation for seniors, culturally-tailored webinars and support groups, and staff training. These services help bridge access gaps while fostering deeper community engagement.

2. Capacity-Building: Strengthening Organizational Foundations
Beyond funding, we equip AAPI community-based organizations (CBO) with the knowledge and tools they need to grow. This includes data and evaluation training, technical assistance, and one-on-one consultations that help organizations better measure impact and advocate for continued support.

Data Consultation Spotlight: Muslim Community Center (MCC)

Volunteers from CAPA-MC—a dynamic community-based organization empowering Chinese American parents, many of them first-generation immigrants—jumped into our annual two-day Data Bootcamp packed with hands-on learning. Offered once per grant period, this year’s training equipped participants with practical skills in Excel and Power BI to supercharge their ability to track engagement and evaluate programs. “These skills will help us dramatically in building our member database,” shared volunteer Jingfeng Huang. Designed for smaller, often volunteer-led groups, workshops like this are all about giving grassroots organizations the tools and confidence they need to grow and thrive.
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Reflecting on the Journey & Looking Ahead

​PCC is honored to have played a key role in launching programs at a pivotal moment—during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—when AAPI communities faced unprecedented challenges and rising hate incidents. As a trusted community intermediary, we helped get these programs off the ground quickly, equitably, and with a deep understanding of grassroots needs.
Our role has been to incubate innovative, community-centered models—supporting culturally responsive care, building data capacity, and elevating the voices of AAPI-serving organizations. We are proud of what this partnership has accomplished and the groundwork it has laid.
As we look to the new fiscal year, the program is entering a new chapter—one that moves toward more structured, institutionalized support within county government. This transition marks an important evolution. The needs of AAPI communities are real, growing, and long overlooked. They deserve not just a one-time response, but sustained public infrastructure that reflects their contributions and ensures lasting equity.

​Wenjing Zhang is the Primary Care Coalition's Lead Service Designer, responsible for developing system improvements to serve patients and providers better. Some of the organization's programs and systems, such as Project Access, were built many years ago when PCC was first founded.
 
"I have a creative and design background with technology skills," said Zhang. "My job is to meet with and listen to all stakeholders, including providers and patients, and research the technology systems. Then I design and propose solutions for system and program improvements with a business mindset."
 
Zhang earned her master's degree in service design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. While at school, she lived in Savannah, Georgia, then Atlanta for about six months, before settling in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
The position at PCC drew Zhang to this area in September 2024, so she is still relatively new to the organization and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
 
"I love my job at PCC, particularly the human aspects," said Zhang. "Being able to talk to patients and providers face-to-face and seeing firsthand how my work can help them is rewarding."
 
"Providers have ideas to share about new systems and processes because they are the ones who work directly with patients and know how care can be delivered more efficiently. And patients want to be heard and understood."
 
"Visiting health clinics and experiencing the energy flow between people is my favorite part of the job," said Zhang. "I am outgoing and a people person. Whenever there is an opportunity, I want to be around people."
 
Zhang's colleagues may not know she is a licensed yoga teacher and an artist who works in oil, graphite, and charcoal. She dreams of one day opening a yoga studio with an art studio upstairs. She stays busy outside the office with yoga, art, and traveling. Since she has only lived in this area for less than a year, she is still exploring nearby towns and states. Recent trips have included Delaware and Virginia. She's visited the Shenandoah National Park and hiked in Charlottesville over the Memorial Day weekend.
 
"I want to visit every small town I can find on the map. I zoom in and out on Google Maps to find the names of towns and places I want to visit. I've visited most of the places in North Carolina and South Carolina when I lived in the South, and now I've started a new adventure here." 
 
Zhang has a twin sister who lives in London and visits her often in the U.S. Whenever they can make the long trip, they travel home to see their parents.
 
Inspiration for Zhang comes from new opportunities and experiences. "I get excited when I hear about a new adventure, a challenge I can resolve, or a trip to a place I've never been before. I love new things."
 
"I love that most of my days at work are different. I get to do different types of work. Sometimes I get to be creative, sometimes I get to talk to different people, and sometimes I get to be at different places."
 
Zhang shares her life with a six-year-old cat named Turtle, a black and white domestic shorthair. Turtle sometimes pops up in Teams Meetings with Zhang when she works from home, seeking attention and begging for food. He is supposed to be on a diet to lose weight, and he likes to remind her how angry he is about the situation.
 
"Service design is such a new field that involves three components: people, process, and physical evidence (such as the artifacts we use or technology). What PCC is doing is so meaningful and special because I have the chance to design all three components, and my goal is to achieve a new system transition and make it a great case study," said Zhang. "I'd love to present it at a big design or healthcare conference and show our approach and methodologies for improving service to vulnerable people."
 
"I am really excited, and I will be super proud to be able to share our work and knowledge with others. I feel like we are getting close to being able to do that."

A highlight of Annice Cody’s daily routine is walking her aging rescue dog through the local community park, where people of all ages, races, religions, and cultures gather on the playground, basketball and tennis courts, and park benches. “It’s a microcosm of the diversity of Montgomery County,” she says, “and it reinforces my goal of helping to build a stronger, healthier, and more connected community.”

Annice became PCC's third President and Chief Executive Officer on April 30, 2025, succeeding Leslie Graham, who held the role for ten years. Annice will lead the organization in its mission to improve the health of vulnerable individuals and families by leveraging her extensive knowledge of the local, regional, and national health care environments, as well as her experience as a health care executive focused on improving community health and well-being.

Annice is well known in Montgomery County for her efforts to support, define, and drive community health improvement. She spent the past 25 years at Holy Cross Health — 14 years in strategic planning and the past 11 as president of Holy Cross Health Network, the community-based operational division of Holy Cross Health that manages safety-net health centers, primary care, community health education and engagement, population health, and advocacy. Annice says, "This portfolio allowed me to think about the health of the community comprehensively, supported by the organization’s commitment to its mission of meeting the needs of our community.”

Annice says she sought and accepted the CEO post at PCC because she admires PCC’s mission. She is excited that PCC's activities affect overall community health and well-being. She elaborates: "Our community will be socially and economically stronger if all the people who live here have access to high-functioning health care and social services.”

Her timing could hardly be better. With the completion of a new five-year strategic plan, PCC is poised to broaden its impact. “There is a lot of uncertainty about federal and state funding for health and social services,” Annice says. “Stewarding our resources and developing effective partnerships will be key to ensuring that our community continues to thrive."
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Annice's commitment to the community is also evident in her numerous leadership roles within local organizations. She serves as an officer on the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College, Chaired the Nexus Montgomery Regional Partnership, and Co-chairs Montgomery Moving Forward, all of which showcase her dedication to enhancing the lives of those in her community.
 
“Health outcomes are driven by so much more than medical care,” Annice says. “I value the opportunity to be engaged holistically in the health of my community by addressing social needs as well. There is so much potential for building a county that thrives in all ways, and I’m very excited to support that at PCC.”