Increasing access to healthcare services to new immigrants: Somali and ethiopian communities in Columbus Ohio

Issues: In Columbus, OH Somalis and Ethiopians remain an underserved population in terms of access to preventive health care, HIV information and prenatal care. Access to women is particularly limited based on cultural norms and a lack of English speaking gate keepers in the community. Description: The Family AIDS and Community Education Services (FACES) program at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides primary care services to families with HIV+ members of Franklin county. The FACES program targets immigrants and New Americans in Franklin county focusing on pregnant women and families with young children who are disproportionately affected by HIV. Analyzing cultural and gender norms of East African immigrants, FACES staff has defined specific interventions that reach primary and secondary gate keepers in the East African community in order to increase healthcare services. FACES staff created protocols on how to make introductions to the community Imams, to the heads of the family and directly to wives and children. By building trust through community gate keepers, FACES staff developed an innovative model with the participation of community members. Lessons Learned: Participants will review the analysis of East African immigrant community gate keepers. FACES staff will demonstrate how to work within this system so that the community model is built from within. Recommendations: Compare cultural trends in new American immigrants and define community gate keepers. Identify the steps in reaching out to these gate keepers in order to build a culturally appropriate community outreach model with the buy in of primary and secondary gate keepers.