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

84%

10%

5% 1%

NepaliKaren/BurmeseArabicOther

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 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 412-422-7442

info@squirrelhillhealthcenter.org

Meghan Powers, Program Coordinator412-697-7932

mpowers@squirrelhillhealthcenter.org