| Mission Protecting the public's health by empowering VDH health districts to provide thorough initial health assessments to all new refugees entering the Commonwealth.  This Karen family comtemplate their new home in a refugee camp in Thailand. (Picture is courtesy of the UNHCR web site.) |
Staff
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| Goal
The public health system is uniquely qualified to identify conditions of public health significance. Refugees, as all newcomers to the US, must learn to navigate the US health care system, which can be overwhelming to many. A holistic approach to providing health care to this vulnerable population is imperative during the first months in their new country. That health districts provide a detailed assessment of each refugee newcomer is essential to this process. Health districts are encouraged to begin the orientation process to our health care system, while providing referrals to follow up of health problems identified at the assessment. Providing appropriate treatment for TB disease and latent TB infection (LTBI) is but one example of treating the condition, while providing education to the client and protecting the public health. Objective The objective of the Newcomer Health Program is to identify and eliminate health related barriers to successful resettlement of Virginia's refugee population while protecting the health of the U.S. population History of the Newcomer Health Program The Department of Social Services (DSS), Office of Newcomer Services (ONS), administers the federal Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) funds in Virginia. ONS works through the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Newcomer Health Program (NHP) to coordinate, facilitate, and monitor the provision of initial health assessment services to newly arrived refugees. ORR provides funding to the NHP to maintain necessary infrastructure. Because tuberculosis (TB) infection and disease are common health problems observed in the refugee population, the Virginia NHP became a part of the Division of TB Control (DTC) in 1997. In June 2004, the "Refugee and Immigrant Health Program" changed its name to the "Newcomer Health Program (NHP)." In November of 2005, VDH placed the NHP under the Division of Disease Prevention. NHP/DTC Roles and Responsibilities The VDH Newcomer Health Program coordinates and facilitates, with Virginia Department of Health local health departments, the initial health assessments of all newly arriving immigrants with a refugee or asylum status. NHP further coordinates and facilitates the transfer of Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) funds administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS), Office of Newcomer Services (ONS), to VDH health districts for these initial health assessment services rendered. The NHP collects data of refugee arrivals, health conditions and outcome of their assessment data. Further using these data the NHP awards small grant funds to districts most heavily impacted. The NHP assures timely notification to local health districts of any newly arrived immigrant or refugee identified with a classified tuberculosis condition. The NHP collects outcome data on aliens with classified tuberculosis conditions. These data are reported to DTC and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, Division of Tuberculosis Prevention and Elimination. |
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