In this Issue: Quarterly Newsletter: September Letter from the Program Manager

Transcription

1 Quarterly Newsletter: September 2017 Letter from the Program Manager Dear Friends of the RWHC, The Refugee Women s Health Clinic continues to take pride in being the preferred OB/GYN healthcare provider around 5,000 refugee women. Our integrated care model emphasizes the resources related to the value to using Cultural Health Navigators who play a critical role in providing culturally-grounded and linguistically-appropriate OB/GYN health services for the growing and diverse populations of refugee and immigrant women across the Phoenix metropolitan area. As such, on September 13 th, the RWHC was recognized for providing such care through a formal invitation by HRSA to be a webinar presenter on integration of cultural and linguistic competence in service delivery. In addition, at A Bridge to Hope, a luncheon which aimed to spark a dynamic conversation about domestic violence and caring for women in refugee communities, Drs. Johnson-Agbakwu, Dean Coonrod, and I discussed not only the goals behind the inception of the RWHC but also conveyed a message on how we as community can better collaborate to provide quality care for refugee and immigrant women. Using an ecological framework, the RWHC cares about the whole person and its psychosocial issues along with the after war sequela. Therefore, with RHS-15 tools, screening for emotional distress is part of the core services the team provides. There seems to be a natural correlation between the level of distress and IPV-GBV experiences. These findings have allowed us to jointly collaborate with Catholic Charities to implement community driven adjustment support groups utilizing co-facilitators and co-therapists as representatives of refugee cultures themselves. Hence, this kind of work is one of the best practices that other audiences will learn about during the 2017 National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence taking place in San Francisco on September In the meantime, we are happy to report that we have been able to screen a total of 596 patients, of whom 128 are positive and 90 are currently receiving further mental health services through one of the behavioral health organizations. Moreover, on September 22 nd, a big highlight is the successful cross collaboration between the RWHC and Mariposa Wings to Safety via the Thunderbird Charities Grant to implement and deliver Family Violence Prevention Program Trainer the Trainer seminar that gathered the health care, social services and school staff as well as Domestic Advocates from various shelters around the valley, focusing on culturally competent trauma informed care with a focus on minority and refugee populations. At a global level, this past July, in partnership with ASU Center for International Translational Intervention Research (CITIR), I was able to travel to Burundi for phase II of a research that began in 2014 which assesses the health care needs of women survivors of war. More details on preliminary findings will be disseminated in the next quarter. We are exploring the plausible collaborations with Dr. Nancy Glass s work in DRC, South Kivu as one of the trauma informed care intervention models. Finally, we can t thank enough everyone who is involved in our statewide community initiative for Enhancing Culturally-Informed Health Care Services for Women Affected by FGC in Arizona, and Bhutanese community for successfully completing the Pathways eight weeks adjustment support groups using co-facilitators form their own communities, which was only possible thru a grant from ASU CITIR. To all our other partners, words cannot express how humbly we feel for all your support! Gracefully yours, In this Issue: Letter from the Program Manager Calendar of Events Refugee Women s Health Community Advisory Coalition New Support Overall RWHC Reports Holiday Angel 2017 Homage to Evelyne Coonrod Program Updates o Holiday Angel project o RHS-15 o Expectant Mothers Class Research Projects, Conferences, and Grant Updates Clinic Information Jeanne Nizigiyimana, MA, MSW

2 Calendar of Events Oct 13 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Nov 10 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Dec. 8 th RWHCAC Quarterly Meeting, 9-11:30 am, Aud. 4, MIHS Administration Building and Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Aud. 2 Dec. 23 rd Holiday Angel Celebration for Moms, all day, Aud. 1-4 and Navajo East & west, MIHS Administration Building Jan. 12 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Feb. 9 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Aud. 1, MIHS Administration Building Mar. 9 th RWHCAC Quarterly Meeting, 9 am-1:00 pm, Aud. 3 and 4, MIHS Administration Building and Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Aud. 1 Apr. 13 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5pm, Aud. 4, MIHS Administration Building May 11 th Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5pm, Jun. 8 th RWHCAC Quarterly Meeting, 9-1:00 pm, Aud. 3 and 4, MIHS Administration Building and Refugee Patient Education Class, 1:30-5 pm, Aud. 1 Refugee Women s Health Community Advisory Coalition (RWHCAC) Sign up to serve on a subcommittee for the Refugee Women s Health Community Advisory Coalition! The RWHCAC has eight working subcommittees: Public Relations Resource Development Program Promotions University Strategic Planning Education Political Advocacy Research For more information, contact Jeanne Nizigiyimana at Jeanne_Nizigiyimana@dmgaz.org. The RWHC Welcomes New Support! Lea Witzel As of August, Lea Witzel has started as one of our new Adjunct Research Associates at the Refugee Women's Health Clinic. She recently graduated from Barrett, The Honors College at ASU this past May with a degree in Biology. Currently, she is considering starting a Master's in Public Health program before attending medical school someday, all while enjoying volunteering her time at the clinic. Lauren Bacon Following her graduation from Barrett at ASU in English Linguistics, Philosophy, and Italian in May 2016, Lauren spent the last year both living and working in Beijing, China. With meaningful experience with various refugee populations both abroad and through the Somali-American United Council here in Phoenix, she is thrilled to join our team as an Adjunct Research Associate prior to her move to Beirut, Lebanon to pursue community development work. Lauren plans to attend law school in the Fall of 2019 so that she may eventually co-create systemic change within the realms of both refugee mental healthcare and global development that is inclusive, sustainable, and intentional.

3 Patients by Type and Year (Unduplicated Visits - Both Clinics) # of patients # of patients Number of Patients Overall RWHC Reports Fast Facts From , the clinic saw over 3,000 individual patients. The RWHC conducted 1,582 obstetric visits as well as 1,094 gynecological visits from The majority of patients from spoke Arabic, Somali, Burmese, or Swahili Yearly Unduplicated Patients Year OB GYN Language Usage Languages

4 Number of Diagnoses Refugee Mental Health Screener (RHS-15) Analysis as of April 2012 Fast Facts The RWHC has conducted 596 mental health screenings from April 2012-August of the 596 patients have scored positive, resulting in 21% of the assessed patients needing treatment. Of the women who scored positive, 90 were referred to receive further treatment, 9 declined services, 33 require follow up, and 12 did not have insurance Psychiatric Diagnoses by Country of Origin Acculturation Problem Adjustment Disorder 11 Anxiety Disorder Mood Disorders Partner Relational Problem PTSD Psychotic Disorder Physical/Sexual Abuse of Child Country of Origin Positive Scores: Referrals Our Total Patients: 596 Open for Services 41% Follow-up 37% Percent positive score 21% Declined No insurance 9% 13% Percent negative score 79%

5 Holiday Angel Drive 2017 Call for Volunteers! Dear RWHCAC, This winter the Refugee Women s Health Clinic will be hosting its 9 th Annual Holiday Angel Drive. For this event, we collect donations including clothing, diapers, baby wipes, bed sheets, bath towels, and other toiletries for donation to refugee women and their families, many of whom will be spending their first holiday season in the United States. As you can imagine, we are not able to accomplish this feat without help from the community. We are looking for volunteers to assist us on several days prior to the event including October 14 th, December 8 th, December 15 th and on the final event date, Saturday, December 16 th. Each of these days has a different purpose and there are several shifts available on each day (please see the Volunteer Sign-Up Sheet for details). For more information about donations needed, to sign up for shift, or with any questions, please Lea Witzel at Lea_Witzel@dmgaz.org. Homage to Evelyne Coonrod The Refugee Women s Health Clinic joins with Dr. Coonrod to remember the legacy of his late mother, Evelyne Coonrod. It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Evelyne Coonrod at age 90. Beloved wife of Forrest Coonrod who, while studying in post war France, swept Evelyne off her feet. She passed away on their 65th wedding anniversary after their last show of tenderness-holding hands. She will be sorely missed by her husband. She was the cherished sister of the late Pierre (Janou), the late Chon (the late Adrienne), the late Jacqui (Suzanne) and Daniel (Annie). She will be forever loved and remembered by her sons Stephan (Cheryl), Melchior (Mary), and Dean (Lisa), and her daughter Diana (Denis), and by her grandchildren Olivier, Alexis, and Nicolas (Melanie); Justin (Cheryl), Jamie (Tony); Anna, and Camille; Sarah, and Claire; and her soon-to-be-born great-granddaughter, as well as by her relatives in France and all those who knew her. * Her caring heart and love for others along with her great sense of diversity has impacted the lives of so many. As a result, the Refugee Women s Health Clinic is grateful for the donations that were collected in her Honor. May she rest in eternal peace. *Originally published in The Seattle Times.

6 Would you pledge to be our 2017 Angel Sponsors? The Refugee Women s Health Clinic would like to give a special thank you to its top 2016 donors: Mercy Care Plan, Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, PEM Real Estate Company, and United Healthcare for their generous contributions to the clinic. Ongoing Clinic Updates Be an Angel for 2017 Holiday Angel Project! A total of 505 refugees (with 321 passports) attended the RWHC Annual Holiday Angel Event on Saturday, Dec. 17th, 2016 and received over 200 comforter bed in a bag sets, 250 strollers, 300 baby blankets, 300 towels, a mountain of diapers, hundreds of items of clothing, and so much more! Plus, over 225 volunteers contributed over 880 hours to make this event possible! A call for you to be an angel for a refugee family by participating to the 2017 Holiday Drive! Your monetary or in kind donation would be highly appreciated! For more information, please Rachel Mendoza at Rachel_Mendoza@dmgaz.org or call (602) Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15) The staff at the RWHC is sensitive to the physical, psychological, and social health needs of refugees, providing integrated care to help them overcome their previous, sometimes traumatic, experiences. Since 2012, 596 patients have been screened using the Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15), a simple tool that depicts common mental health stressors among refugees such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Expectant Mothers Classes Since 2010, the Refugee Women s Health Clinic has offered monthly educational classes to expectant mothers. Topics include access to care, US labor and delivery, postpartum and infant care, and nutrition and exercise. In 2017, 67 women attended these classes. For a current schedule of classes for , refer to the Calendar of Events on page two.

7 Projects, Conferences, and Grants Ongoing Research Projects New, Integrated Mixed-Methods Data Platform to Improve Understanding of Why Refugee Women Underutilize Prenatal Care Across Their Reproductive Lives Refugee Mental Health Screening: Implementation of the RHS-15 in a Dedicated Refugee Women s Health Clinic Conferences: - Integration of Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Service Delivery Webinar, September 13 th National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence, September th, San Francisco, California Grants Enhancing Culturally-Informed Health Care Services for Women Affected by FGC in Arizona ASU- Phase III of Aku Anyi Swastha (Help for Health): Initiative for Healthy Burmese and Bhutanese Communities Refugee Women s Health Clinic Information Available Services Obstetric and Gynecological Clinical Services Prenatal Care Family Planning Surgical Modifications for Female Genital Cutting Patient Education In-House Interpretation Cultural Health Navigators Baby Supplies Health Insurance Locations Comprehensive Health Center Women s Care Center, 2 nd Floor 2525 E. Roosevelt St. Phoenix, AZ Maryvale Clinic 4011 N 51 st Ave. (SE Corner of 51 st and Indian School) Phoenix, AZ Contact Information Scheduling Patients: Jeanne Nizigiyimana, MA, MSW Program Manager Jeanne_Nizigiyimana@dmgaz.org C: O: Asheraka Boru Medical Assistant Asheraka.Boru@mihs.org O: (Oromo) Cultural Health Navigators Daisy Taknan: (Burmese, Chin) Liliane Ferdinand: (French, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili) Nahida AlAni: (Arabic) Owliya Abdalla: (Somali, Maay Maay) Website: