Sambo Ly Receives Icon Award for Lifelong Community Service

OAKLAND, Calif., September 19, 2025 — Sambo Ly, manager of interpreter services at Alameda Health System (AHS), has been honored with the prestigious Icon Award by Bay Area news station KPIX. This recognition celebrates her decades of service to refugees and community members in Alameda County, highlighting her significant contributions to improving access to healthcare for diverse populations.

Impactful Leadership in Healthcare

Ly’s role at AHS is pivotal; she oversees a department that manages approximately 2,000 interpreter requests daily across more than 100 different languages. Many patients come to AHS with limited English proficiency, and Ly ensures they receive the necessary support to communicate effectively with their healthcare providers. Under her leadership, the interpreter services department offers in-house interpretation in 10 languages and access to remote interpreters in up to 300 languages. Innovations like the introduction of iPads have further enhanced patient-provider communication.

“Language access is a cornerstone of our mission of caring, healing, teaching, and serving all,” said James Jackson, CEO of AHS. “Sambo’s leadership and compassion ensure that no patient is left behind because of a language barrier. Her story reflects the resilience of our community and the values that guide us every day at AHS.”

A Journey of Resilience and Service

Ly’s commitment to community service is deeply rooted in her personal history, marked by survival during the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. As a child, she and her brother were taken to a forced labor camp. Tragically, her brother vanished one day, and Ly later fell ill with malaria. “I was determined to walk out of my deathbed and refused to die,” she recalled. This determination inspired her pursuit of a career in healthcare.

With the help of refugee workers, Ly and her family escaped Cambodia and eventually settled in the United States. At AHS, she has dedicated her career to helping fellow refugees, immigrants, and underserved communities navigate the complexities of healthcare.

Ly’s community involvement extends beyond her work at AHS. She conducts weekly traditional Cambodian dance classes for girls at her home, assists thousands with citizenship paperwork, and drives elders and monks to temples throughout California. As Board Chair of Peralta Hacienda Park, she has organized the annual Cambodian New Year celebration for the past 15 years, which remains the largest Cambodian event in the Bay Area.

“I know from my own experience that having a language barrier is an invisible disability,” Ly expressed. “Once I had the opportunity to work at Alameda Health System, I saw an opportunity to give back to my community. I’m honored that this work is being recognized by KPIX, and I want to acknowledge my dedicated coworkers in the interpreter services department who provide compassionate language assistance to our patients and make a difference in their lives every day.”

The recognition of Ly’s efforts through the KPIX Icon Award underscores the importance of community leaders who advocate for equitable access to healthcare services, ensuring that all individuals can receive the care they need.

For more information, please contact:

Eleanor Ajala
Manager, Media and Communications
Alameda Health System
Telephone: (510) 421-9222
Email: [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at this link.