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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Leslie S. Aldrich, MPH¹, Sarah Oo, MSW², Adnan Zubcevic², Saida M. Abdi², Tamara J. Leaf, MD³, Eric Kamba, MSW, MPH², Danelle E. Marable, MA¹, and Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD⁴. (1) Community Benefit Program/Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, 617-724-6835, laldrich@partners.org, (2) Community Health Team, MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center, 151 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150, (3) Mental Health, MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center, 151 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150, (4) Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford St., 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02114

In 2004 Massachusetts received close to 2000 refugees with approximately 16% settling in Chelsea. Refugees have complex needs that challenge the resources of health and social services agencies. To address these needs, the MGH Chelsea Health Care Center (CHC) has partnerered with numerous community agencies to create a comprehensive Immigrant and Refugee Health Program (IRHP). The mission of IRHP is to facilitate the health and well being of refugee and new immigrants by improving access to care and providing culturally responsive care. Two counselors, natives of Bosnia and Somalia, divide their time between the public schools and the CHC. They work with bi-cultural, bi-lingual staff and various clinical practices to provide culturally responsive care. The program uses a participatory approach to refugee care by bringing health care providers and patients together informally for patients to educate providers about their history and experiences with Western style health care. This program is well utilized and received by patients and CHC staff because of the unique way program staff cross traditional health center boundaries and provide services in community-based settings such as schools, restaurants or cafés where patients may feel more comfortable. Staff work with program evaluators to track the number and type of encounters as well as the background and needs of their patients. They also review cases, current support services, satisfaction rates of patients and staff, and patient health outcomes. Data from satisfaction surveys and interviews are reviewed in a participatory way to improve outreach and services in an iterative fashion.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of a multi-faceted community-based program focused on the specific needs of immigrant and refugee families. 2.Learn ways to incorporate patient readiness strategies in program development -- including (a) building relationships, trust, and collaborations and (b) developing a common language around health care to lay the foundation for successful refugee and immigrant care.

Keywords: Refugees, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered