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| Owen Furuseth, PhD speaks to the crowd at "The Immigrant Experience in Accessing Care" |
On November 5th, members of Mecklenburg Area
Partnership for Primary Care Research joined other community leaders for an
all-day discussion entitled “The
Immigrant Experience in Accessing Care”. Dr. Michael Dulin and Dr. Owen Furuseth, along with
attorneys Madison Hardee (Legal Services of Southern Piedmont) and Hans
Christian Linnartz (NC Board Certified Immigration Specialist), and caretakers Tamara
Withers-Thompson and Martha Brinsko (Charlotte Community Health Clinic) spoke
to a near-capacity crowd at the Charlotte Area Health Education Center.
The workshop illuminated aspects of the immigrant experience
here in North Carolina, specifically as those in our area pursue health care
and other services. Immigrants
coming to North Carolina face myriad challenges, including documentation and
transportation. Many times, their
expectations of care from their health care provider do not align with the objectives
set by the providers themselves.
Testimonials from immigrants who have experienced these challenges
first-hand elucidated the need for increased access to care, as well as
education on both sides to improve understanding.
The day concluded with an enlightening presentation on how
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect the immigrant population – those with
health insurance and those without.
“I was surprised to learn that many healthcare professionals
have limited understanding of immigrants, immigration law, and how the ACA will
affect this population,” says Carolinas HealthCare System Health Careers and
Diversity Education Assistant Director Michelle Boyd. “This was a great
experience and I believe those that attended feel better prepared to care for
their patients. It was a good day.”
The workshop was such a success that a follow up discussion
is being planned for Spring of 2014.
