Banyan scholarship sends Houston nurse to Duke for advanced training

Banyan Treatment Centers has awarded its Next Generation Healers Scholarship to Houston cardiac ICU nurse Richard Qiu, who will enter Duke University School of Nursing this fall. Qiu plans to use the training to expand access to care for immigrant and underserved patients and to address gaps in behavioral and cardiovascular health.

Why it matters: - The scholarship supports a nurse with direct experience serving patients who face language, cost, and access barriers. - Qiu’s plan centers on care models that could help immigrant and underserved patients manage cardiovascular and chronic conditions more effectively. - Banyan Treatment Centers is using the program to back future healthcare leaders focused on equity and behavioral health access.

What happened: - Banyan Treatment Centers’ Next Generation Healers Scholarship is supporting Richard Qiu as he enters Duke University School of Nursing’s BSN-to-DNP Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner–Acute Care program this fall. - Qiu works as a registered nurse on Houston Methodist’s cardiac ICU step-down unit. - Qiu came to the United States at 18 and grew up in an immigrant household. - Qiu said he saw language barriers, limited health literacy, and work demands keep relatives from getting or using care.

The details: - Qiu said he witnessed “quiet suffering” when access functioned like a privilege rather than a right. - In his ICU role, Qiu said patients from non-English-speaking or low-income backgrounds were often discharged with instructions they could not read, follow-up appointments they could not keep, and digital tools they did not know how to use. - Qiu is the first author of a manuscript under review on digital health usage, privacy concerns, and health implications among Vietnamese Americans. - Qiu presented that research at the 2025 Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association Conference. - His research looks at how cultural distrust, language barriers, and limited digital literacy affect whether immigrant communities use health technology. - Qiu also volunteered with Bonton Farms and the Austin Street Center in Dallas, where he saw how poverty and houselessness shape health outcomes. - Qiu said mental health and addiction services were especially scarce in those settings. - Banyan Treatment Centers provides behavioral healthcare for people affected by substance use disorders and mental health conditions, with a focus on communities facing major barriers to care. - John Sory, CEO of Banyan Treatment Centers, said the scholarship exists to support people who share the organization’s commitment to compassionate care and access.

Between the lines: - Qiu’s path links bedside nursing, immigrant health, digital access, and behavioral health into one equity-focused career plan. - The scholarship also lets Banyan connect its brand to workforce development, not just patient services. - Qiu’s experience suggests access problems are not only about insurance or distance. Technology, culture, and trust also shape whether care is usable.

What’s next: - At Duke, Qiu plans to develop culturally adapted telehealth and remote monitoring protocols for immigrant and underserved patients with cardiovascular and chronic conditions. - Qiu says he wants a career split between direct clinical care and educating future nurse practitioners. - Qiu said he wants to change the conditions that let illness go untreated, not only treat the illness itself.

The bottom line: - Banyan is funding a nurse whose training could help narrow care gaps for patients who are often hardest to reach.