BEYOND BORDERS
and whether it is rainy season which can increase mosquitos and malaria infections ). I check YouTube for a quick video on common greetings and phrases in the new language and practice aloud . I tell each newcomer I hope they feel welcome and explain the concept of a medical home . Given the prevalence of malnutrition , I prescribe multivitamins and take a detailed diet history . When there are foods I am unfamiliar with , I ask them to describe their recipe , and can connect with them about favorite foods ( so relatable to Louisvillians ).
to high school students at Newcomer Academy . There are now 40 + mentors and twice as many mentees this year , completing college applications and discussing career pathways together .
We have more work to do to fill the mental health care gap as well . At the time of immigrating , most refugees have already experienced loss and displacement , some have witnessed or experienced violence , and then post-immigration there are additional stressors with acculturation , including new discrimination . Locally , mental health resources are already strained , and language concordant services are also limited or unavailable . As part of Refuge Collaborative , medical students ( many of whom have lived experience as migrants ) created a health literacy curriculum , including mental health , they are now presenting at Newcomer Academy . This means more teens will identify stress , healthy coping and better access early intervention . There will also be scholarships and community events in the future to further reduce health and education disparities .
The exhilarating thing to me about refugee and immigrant health , is that there are new challenges every single day . Each person has a unique personal and family culture , and we often have newcomers from countries I have yet to encounter and understand . I check out resources for refugees from certain areas at the CDC , plug their information into CareRef , 3 and often take it a step farther to search specifics about the camp they came from . I need to see if there are important risks ( like disease outbreaks , low elevation
These tips are just the start of bridging gaps between the health care our newcomer patients know and helping them understand what health care is available in the U . S . More resources , including a startup guide to refugee health , pictorial aids for the exam room , and case reviews for common pediatric problems , are all available at the Kentucky chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics website for the Immigrant Child Health Taskforce . 4 As more people around the globe are being displaced due to war and climate change , there is much more work to be done locally and globally . Next steps for us in Louisville include gaining an understanding of the needs and desires that immigrants might like U . S . health care to fulfill . I would encourage all physicians to embrace the challenge of learning about and serving immigrants as a good Kentucky neighbor , with curiosity , responsibility , warmth and respect .
References
1
Web article “ 1 in 5 U . S . physicians was born and educated abroad . Who are they and what do they contribute ?” https :// www . aamc . org / news / 1-5-us-physicianswas-born-and-educated-abroad-who-are-they-and-what-do-they-contribute . Accessed December 3 , 2024 .
2
“ Higher Education and Children in Immigrant Families ” https :// files . eric . ed . gov / fulltext / EJ920372 . pdf . Accessed December 3 , 2024 .
3
CareRef Clinical Assessment for Refugees https :// careref . web . health . state . mn . us
4
Kentucky AAP Immigrant Child Health Task Force https :// www . kyaap . org / chapter-focus / task-force-activities / and toolkit https :// www . kyaap . org / chapter-focus / task-force-activities / immigrant-child-health-toolkit /
Dr . Bichir practices pediatrics with Norton Children ’ s Medical Group- Nulu and is an assistant professor of pediatrics with the University of Louisville School of Medicine .
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