Jacques Txuj Ci Moua, M.D., is a Catawba Valley Family Medicine (CVFM)
physician practicing at the CVFM-Northeast Hickory office. He is a graduate
of North Carolina State University and earned his M.D. from the Brody
School of Medicine at East Carolina University, where he was a recipient
of the Board of Governors Medical Scholarship.
Dr. Moua is a family physician treating a wide variety of patients throughout
the Hickory area, but he also carries another distinct qualification.
He is a member of the Hmong people, speaking the language fluently and
currently serving as the only Hmong physician in the region.
The Hmong is an ethnic group of people, known colloquially as “mountain
people,” hailing from the regions of Southeast Asia. During and
following the Vietnam War, many members of this group began migrating
and a large number landed in the United States. Dr. Moua’s family
came from Laos and landed in Charlotte by way of Paris.
“North Carolina is the state with the fourth largest Hmong population,”
said Moua. “Hickory and the Catawba Valley are the largest geographic
areas for this group of people in the state. That being said, it is important
for them to have adequate medical care.”
Since earning his medical degree, Moua has served this population. “There
are a lot of traditions that can factor into the health of the Hmong people,
and because I grew up with these traditions, I have a perspective unique
to those of us in the Hmong community.”
According to Moua, traditional Hmong ceremonies, such as weddings and new
births, can include a lot of feasting and drinking. “Some celebrations
can result in overindulgence and could lead to increased risk of developing
health problems. It’s important that people take time to educate
themselves on the effects of overeating and excessive alcohol use.”
However, Moua says the tradition must be preserved. “I am not asking
anyone to change their customs, but I am asking them to remember the reason
for the traditions and don’t use it as an excuse to overindulge.”
While overeating is a concern to many in our area, Moua points to two specific
foods that should be significantly limited. “Hmong people tend to
eat a lot of rice and a lot of salt. Rice has always been a staple for
our diet, but we must remember that eating lots of rice used to be accompanied
by lots of manual labor. Changing lifestyles has reduced the traditional
calorie burning activities and rice intake needs to be decreased. Plus,
cutting down on soy sauce will help reduce our salt intake and should
impact the high levels of hypertension among Hmong people.”
Finally, Moua encourages his patients to get regular physicals. “I
can’t say this enough, everyone needs to get checked out,”
he said. “You may be feeling okay right now, but a physical allows
us to know exactly what is going on with your body and will allow us to
work toward preventing some ailments in the future. Preventative care
is a necessity.”
Dr. Moua is currently accepting new patients and encourages all Hmong to
reach out to him. For more information or to setup an appointment, please
call CVFM-Northeast Hickory at 828/256-2112.