Undocumented immigrants are a vulnerable population; they often delay and or decline health care services due to their lack of familiarity with the U.S. health care system, inaccurate information about service eligibility, fear of deportation, and cultural, financial, and linguistic barriers. Currently the undocumented population is estimated to be around 4 million. It is difficult to know the actual number of undocumented immigrants who enter and remain in the U.S. It is estimated that less than half of the undocumented immigrants residing in this country are illegal border crossers. The Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico border crossing has the greatest volume of traffic (illegal and legal) in the Arizona-Sonora border region. Nogales, Arizona is also the site in which interdisciplinary student teams provide community-based health care. We maintain that health professions students who interface with this vulnerable population must be knowledgeable of: immigration terms, eligibility criteria for health and social programs, immigration related legislation, requirments and process by which the foreign-born become U.S. citizens, the social, economic and environmental history of the clinet and their community of origin, and the cultural values that underpin health practices. We will present a curriculum that prepares interdisciplinary students (nursing, pharmacy, public health, social work and medicine) to provide culturally relevant care for undocumented immigrants.
Learning Objectives: Describe five factors that adversely affect the health of undocumented immigrants. Articulate critical components of a curriculum that prepares students to provide culturally relevant care to undocumented immigrants
Keywords: Immigrants, Vulnerable Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.