Comcast Business is proud to recognize Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May – which celebrates and commemorates important milestones in AAPI history – and the local Asian American-owned businesses that make our communities great.
One such business, Oakland Pharmacy Inc., has been serving customers in Oakland, California for more than 35 years, working diligently to improve the healthcare opportunities within its communities. Dr. Kam Tam established the business in 1989, after working in various roles – from staff pharmacist to executive assistant manager to store manager.
Born in China in 1951, Dr. Tam has never forgotten where he came from and is constantly giving back to the community. He emigrated to San Francisco in 1968 through an amnesty program that helped reunite families. At the age of 16, just after arriving in the United States, Dr. Tam was diagnosed with tuberculosis, malnourishment and dental decay. That was the first time that Dr. Tam received comprehensive medical care and it had a big impact on him.
In 1979, Dr. Tam graduated from UC San Francisco School of Pharmacy and landed a job as a Pharmacy Manager for Walgreens. More than a decade later, he had the opportunity to open his own pharmacy.
Continuing Dr. Tam’s commitment to giving back, Oakland Pharmacy Inc provides services for underserved populations, including the Asian American & Pacific Islander community, foster children, children incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice system, mental health patients, the uninsured, and those who are part of programs like California Children’s Services or the Genetically Handicapped Person Program.
A personal touch is key – staff across the company’s seven locations are often bilingual, speaking Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese or Mandarin to better connect with the various cultural backgrounds that each location serves. Plus, since most employees live near where they work, they have a strong understanding of the customers they serve and the needs of the community.
With a legacy of service to its community, Oakland Pharmacy Inc. is truly an example of the entrepreneurial spirit and immeasurable value that Asian American & Pacific Islanders bring to our local communities.
Comcast Business is proud to serve Oakland Pharmacy Inc. with multiple solutions including SD-WAN on the ActiveCoreSM SDN Platform, Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) connections for its six sites, as well as Business VoiceEdge services. This powerful combination of technology solutions helps the local healthcare business improve operating procedures for its employees from the pharmacy counter to the IT desk – ultimately helping to provide elevated services and enhanced experiences for all of its customers.