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Failures of US Health Care System for Pregnant Asylum Seekers

Migrant Clinicians Network's white paper, “Failures of US Health Care System for Pregnant Asylum Seekers,” outlines how pregnant asylum seekers who have been released into the US to await their asylum hearing face extreme obstacles to secure prenatal care, despite their legal presence within the country.

Without prenatal care, infants will not have the benefit of early screening and treatment for potentially life-threatening diseases and screening for congenital abnormalities, while in utero. Additionally, pregnancies without prenatal care may result in excess utilization of emergency services which produces unforeseen strain on the health care system.

Knowledge of prenatal care needs, cost, lack of insurance, transportation, refusal by health centers, and fear are delineated as key barriers for pregnant asylum seekers from accessing the care they need during their pregnancy.

Press contact: Claire Hutkins Seda, cseda@migrantclinician.org

 

This new poll, taken by Migrant Clinicians Network in January and February 2018, reflected the experiences of clinical staff from 26 states across the country. Respondents came from every corner of the clinic; occupations listed include Physician, Executive Director, Dental Assistant, Outreach Specialist, Therapist, Community Health Worker, Registered Nurse, and 24 other occupations. The poll follows up on MCN’s 2017 poll, in which 63 percent of respondents indicated that immigrant and mobile patients’ attitudes and feelings toward health care access had changed.

This new poll, taken by Migrant Clinicians Network in January and February 2018, reflected the experiences of clinical staff from 26 states across the country. Respondents came from every corner of the clinic; occupations listed include Physician, Executive Director, Dental Assistant, Outreach Specialist, Therapist, Community Health Worker, Registered Nurse, and 24 other occupations. The poll follows up on MCN’s 2017 poll, in which 63 percent of respondents indicated that immigrant and mobile patients’ attitudes and feelings toward health care access had changed.

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Published July 15, 2014

MCN holds the position that immigrant children fleeing violence in their home countries must receive priority consideration for their safety and health. We have provided several links with additional resources on this issue.

A directory of organizations working to promote health and prevent HIV/AIDS in California, Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, and Texas.

 

Provided by Farmworker Justice

This webinar is the sixth in a series of seven in our Clinician Orienatation to Migration Health.

DATE RECORDED: Wednesday, July 17, 2013
PRESENTED BY: Candace Kugel, FNP, CNM, Specialist in Clinical Systems & Women's Health and Melissa Bailey, Executive Director of North Carolina Field, Inc.

To view the recorded version of this webinar, click here.

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The Occupational Health and Safety Resource Center is a virtual repository of Spanish educational materials, data sources, and links to bilingual informational websites on occupational health and safety issues related to agricultural work. It also contains an ample list of national and state agencies that have produced materials in Spanish for farmworkers’ health-related problems.

MCNs own Deliana Garcia helped in being a part of the advisory committee to this resource center.

What is the objective?  To facilitate a central access point to high quality Spanish educational materials on agricultural occupational health and safety issues for people conducting work on health promotion and prevention activities and on workers’ rights and problems related to agricultural work.

Who are the target audiences? Health-outreach workers (promotores), community advocates, health providers, contractors/employers, farmworkers and their families, and others interested in the health and safety issues of agricultural workers.

What areas are included? The materials cover five key relevant areas: 1) Farmworkers’ rights; 2) Injury prevention; 3) Respiratory illnesses; 4) Heat illnesses; and 5) Pesticide exposure.

How did we do it? To develop the Virtual Resource Center, the process entailed:

  • Asset mapping of educational, informational and research materials available in Spanish related to the five mentioned areas.
  • Selection of materials using the following criteria: accurate information, culturally and linguistically adequate (including literacy level), relevant to health area, and visually acceptable quality.
  • Insertion of resources into an excel format under five different categories, including source, type of material, and description of its content.

Development of new materials: to complement the existing educational resources, we developed a “Promotores Training Manual on Occupational Health and Safety of Agricultural Workers”.  Based on an ethnographic framework, the manual presents the perspective of agricultural workers on the five mentioned areas (their stories) and provides community health workers with tools on how to conduct prevention and promotion activities. It also refers them to existing resources.  We also produced a series of Spanish and selected indigenous languages Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on these areas.

This webinar is the third in a series of seven in our Clinician Orienatation to Migration Health.

DATE RECORDED: Wednesday, April 17, 2013
PRESENTED BY: Edward Zuroweste, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Migrant Clinicians Network

To view the recorded version of this webinar, click here.

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This webinar is the second in a series of seven in our Clinician Orientation to Migration Health.

DATE RECORDED: Wednesday, March 13, 2013
PRESENTED BY: Jennie McLaurin, MD, MPH, Specialist in Child and Migrant Health, Migrant Clinicians Network

To view the recorded version of this webinar, click here.

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This webinar is the first in a series of seven in our Clinician Orienatation to Migration Health.

DATE RECORDED: Wednesday, February 13, 2013
PRESENTED BY: Deliana Garcia, MA, International Research and Development, Migrant Clinicians Network

To view the recorded version of this webinar, click here.

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The Health Protection Agency's role is to provide an integrated approach to protecting UK public health through the provision of support and advice to the NHS, local authorities, emergency services, other arms length bodies, the Department of Health and the devolved administrations.

Through radiomexicointernacional, listen to unique programming to meet and know about Mexico. www.radiomexicointernacional.imer.gob.mx transmits content on a wide variety of topics in Spanish, English and French, and some Indian languages. With rich programming topics, languages and Mexican music, resurfaces Radio Mexico International, now via internet.

Mobile Voices (VozMob) is a platform for immigrant workers and / or low income can create stories about their lives and communities directly from their mobile phones. Each week the team discusses popular media stories, develops and shares knowledge, designs the system, and creates training tools. The communication equipment is made popular by day laborers, domestic workers, and youth volunteers have taken very seriously the role of writing their own history. We also meet every week at USC to develop research on the project.

Order it by calling NCFH, Inc. at 1-800-531-5120

Established in 1997 as the only national foundation to raise funds exclusively for migrant farmworker individuals and families. Phone: 1-888-922 -4673

(HEP) helps migratory and seasonal farmworkers (or children of such workers) who are 16 years of age or older and not currently enrolled in school to obtain the equivalent of a high school diploma and subsequently to gain employment or begin postsecondary education or training. To find a university go to the link and download the directory. Office of Migrant Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW FOB-6 Washington, D.C. 20202-6135 Phone:(202)260-1164

CAMP assists students who are migratory or seasonal farmworkers (or children of such workers) enrolled in their first year of undergraduate studies at an institution of higher education. To find a university go to the link and download the directory. Office of Migrant Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW FOB-6 Washington, D.C. 20202-6135 Phone:(202)260-1164

Provides and promotes continuity of Head Start services to migrant children and their families along the East Coast of the United States. Great links! 4245 North Fairfax Drive, 8th Floor, Arlington, VA 22203, Telephone: 703-243-7522

Provides summaries and contact information for major Federal programs and national organizations that serve migrant farmworkers and their families. It can be used as a tool for increasing coordination among programs and organizations that serve the same client population.  This resource was created in 2003 and there have been no updates since then.  Some of the information may be out-of-date, but the majority is still useful information for those seeking resources for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. 

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Works to empower migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice. Works with farmworkers and their families to reduce and eliminate their exposures to pesticides.

Migrant Health Promotion is committed to strengthening the capacity of farmworker families and their communities to improve their health through collaborative peer education and advocacy.