A Collaborative Approach to Promoting Continuing Care for Refugees: Philadelphia’s Strategies and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Refugees arrive in the United States with medical and non-medical needs, many of which require collaborative support from multiple stakeholders. The Philadelphia Refugee Health Collaborative (PRHC) was developed through partnerships between resettlement agencies and health clinics to create an equitable and sustainable system to address these needs and improve resettlement success. By providing access to high-quality, community-centered health care, PRHC has successfully decreased the time to initial health screenings, connected refugees to a patient-centered medical home, and addressed complex medical needs of refugees, while improving the knowledge and capabilities of health care providers and community partners. These achievements have made the PRHC a model for providing continuing health care to newly arrived refugees, with a particular focus on those facing complex medical and social challenges.

Nursing Students' Self-Efficacy in Immigrant Health

“…Based on an agency-wide needs assessment, the resettlement agency had developed the Health Access Program (HAP) to their already extensive services for their refugee clients 17. The resettlement agency wanted to expand the program to the newly arriving immigrants within their service area.…”

“…Based on an agency-wide needs assessment, the resettlement agency had developed the Health Access Program (HAP) to their already extensive services for their refugee clients. 17 The resettlement agency wanted to expand the program to the newly arriving immigrants within their service area. This was an opportunity to rely on the CoN's existing agency collaboration, support a public health program, and meet the CoN's goals of creating educational experiences in which nursing students had learning opportunities with diverse and immigrant populations.…”

A Logic Model Framework for Planning an International Refugee Health Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee

“…Research collaborations may occur among health care systems, resettlement agencies, community and faith-based organizations serving newcomer populations, state and local public health departments, and federal agencies. Local partnerships have increased refugee health research collaborations and expanded the sharing of best practices (DiVito et al, 2016). National research collaborations can increase information and resource sharing and influence policymakers (Phillips et al, 2011).…”