REFUGEE CARE AT THE SQUIRREL HILL HEALTH CENTER 2012 PA Refugee Resettlement Consultation

Refugee care at SHHC  Background  Relationships  Organizational structure  Challenges/ Successes  Immunizations  TB treatment  Language access  Future

Background  The mission of the Squirrel Hill Health Center is to provide patient-driven, high quality, comprehensive, evidence-based primary and preventive healthcare and social services, with a special concern for patients' religious beliefs, race, national origin, primary language, age, sex, and disability status and without regard for their ability to pay.  Founded in 2006  Located in Pittsburgh, PA

Services  Primary care for patients of all age  Geriatrics  Pediatrics  OB/GYN  Behavioral health  Care Navigation  Dental (opened December 2010)

Refugee Care at SHHC  Preferred provider for 2 local resettlement agencies in Pittsburgh  Complete PA initial health assessment  Provide continued care even after health insurance and other benefits expire

Primary Refugees  Total Initial Refugees seen as of 5/14/2012: 685  Total seen in 2011: 393  Total seen in first 4 ½ months of 2012: 167  Of the 685 total seen, 574 are Bhutanese Refugees; 67 speak Burmese/Karen; 37 speak Arabic  Average age of resettled refugee: 41 years old

Refugees, by Primary Language Spoken

Secondary Refugees  167 Secondary Bhutanese have also been seen at the office or on the mobile unit; total of 741 Bhutanese have been seen by SHHC  56 Secondary Burmese/Karen have also been seen at the office or on the mobile unit; total of 123

SHHC Mobile Unit

 SHHC received funding through an American Reinvestment & Recovery Act grant administered through HRSA to build the mobile unit  Completed in October 2010  The mobile features two private exam rooms, a bathroom, and a waiting area  It is staffed by one of SHHC's physicians, a medical assistant, and a case manager  SHHC currently makes regular stops at Prospect Park (working with refugee families and the Prospect Park Family Support Center), POWER House, Hearing and Deaf Services, and Milestone, Inc

Compass AmeriCorps Program  Idea out of the Immigrants and Internationals Advisory Council of Allegheny County DHS  Growing need for case management and social service support for newly arrived and secondary refugees  Members serve at resettlement agencies, family centers, ESL providers, health center, and other community partners, greater connecting a network of organizations working with refugee population

AmeriCorps at SHHC  Receive training in case management, care coordination, and community education  Serve as main care coordinators for refugee population  Resettlement agency  Referral providers  Health department  Language and interpretation  Staff mobile unit

Challenges- TB  Coordination with resettlement agencies  Communicating with County Health Department  Following patients through latent TB treatment.  AmeriCorps care navigation  Schweitzer Fellowship project

Challenges- Immunizations  Communication with school, parents, resettlement agency  Modifying immunization schedules and protcols  Decreasing no-shows and lack of follow up through recall lists and reminder letters

Successes  AmeriCorps program  Staff education and experience  Mobile unit program

Future  Community health education through Health Corps member  Patient Portal access  Population focused group visits around chronic disease management  Diabetes  HTN

Questions? Feel free to contact SHHC at Meghan Powers, Program Coordinator