PA REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
CONSULTATION CONFERENCE
JUNE 13 - 14, 2012
PA REFUGEE HEALTH PROGRAM
Asresu Misikir, Dr.Ph., MPH
Epidemiologist & Refugee Health Program Coo.
Bureau of Epidemiology
Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology,
Refugee Health Program Section
PRESENTATION POINTS :
I. PA REFUGEE HEALTH PROGRAM
(PA RHP) OVERVIEW
II. STATISTICAL INFORMATION
III. ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IV. FUTURE PLAN
PA RHP_AM 2012
Program Objectives:
To assess the current health status of all newly
arriving refugees and identify health problems
not identified during or developing after
overseas medical exam
To ensure follow-up of refugees with
conditions identified during the overseas
medical exam or subsequently and provide
treatment and referral
PA RHP_AM, 2012
Program Tasks:
 Coordination of care
 Training and Health Education
 Develop Electronic Reporting System
and Provide Technical Supports
 Collaborations
 Increase Public Awareness
 Site Monitoring
 Identify of Potential health risks
 Documentations & Produce Reports
PA RHP_AM 2012
Refugee Health Assessment (RHA)
Primary Components:
 Medical history and physical exam
 Immunization (children and adult)
 Tuberculosis (TB) Screening
 Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)/HIV Screening
 Hepatitis B Screening
 Intestinal Parasite & Malaria Screening
 Mental Health Screening
 Childhood Blood lead Test
 Referral of Chronic diseases
PA RHP_AM 2012
2011
Refugee Population Served by RHP
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Refugees
Asylees
Parolee/Cuban/Haitian Entrants
Amerasians
Victims of Human Trafficking
Unaccompanied Alien Children
Survivors of Torture
PA RHP_AM 2012
Health Care Providers By Region
Erie
McKean
Warren
Potter
Tioga
Bradford
Susquehanna
Wayne
Crawford
Forest
Elk
Venango
Lycoming
Mercer
Pike
Clinton
Clarion
Lackawanna
Wyoming
Sullivan
Cameron
Luzerne
Jefferson
Columbia
Lawrence
Clearfield
Union
Butler
Carbon
Centre
Armstrong
Beaver
Snyder
Indiana
Northumberland
Northampton
Mifflin
Cambria
Allegheny
Schuylkill
Dauphin
Berks
Montgomery
Cumberland
Washington
Fayette
Somerset
Bedford
Chester
Fulton
Lancaster
Franklin
Health CARE Providers (20)
Bucks
Lebanon
Huntingdon
Westmoreland
Lehigh
Juniata
Blair
Perry
Greene
Monroe
Montour
Adams
York
Delaware
Philadelphia
Active Health Care Providers
PA RHP_AM 2012
2011
II. STATISTICAL INFORMATION
 Notifications of Arrival
 Health Screening Status
PA RHP_AM 2012
2011
Figure 1 Total Newly Arriving Refugees
by States in 2011
N=56,419
Source: ORR annual refugee arrivals report, 2011. These data excludes secondary migrants
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure 2 Trends of Newly Arriving Refugees in
PA from 2009 - 2011
Sources: CDC EDN Data (2008-2011) http://www.acf.hhs.gov/program/orr/data/state_profiles.htm. Date includes
secondary migrants
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Figure 3 Newly Arriving Refugees in
PA by Country of Origin, 2011
N=3303
Note: Refugees came from 59 different countries; Source – CDC EDN, 2011
PA_RHP_AM, 2012
Figure 4 Percent of Newly Arriving Refugees in
PA by Country of Origin(Region) in PA 2011
Note: Among refugees who came from East-South Asia Region, 46% came
from Bhutan, 24% from Nepal, and 7% from Myanmar.
PA_RHP_AM, 2012
Figure 5 Percent of Newly Arriving Refugees
by Sex and Age Group in PA, 2010 and 2011
Sex
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Figure 6 Newly Arriving Refugees by County in
PA 2011
Erie
McKean
Warren
Potter
Tioga
Bradford
Susquehanna
Wayne
Crawford
Forest
Elk
Venango
Lycoming
Mercer
Pike
Clinton
Clarion
Lackawanna
Wyoming
Sullivan
Cameron
Luzerne
Jefferson
Columbia
Lawrence
Clearfield
Butler
Carbon
Snyder
Indiana
Northampton
Schuylkill
Dauphin
Berks
Montgomery
Cumberland
Washington
Fayette
Somerset
Bedford
Chester
Fulton
Lancaster
Franklin
<10 Refugees
Bucks
Lebanon
Huntingdon
Westmoreland
Lehigh
Juniata
Blair
Perry
Legend:
Northumberland
Mifflin
Cambria
Allegheny
Greene
Monroe
Montour
Centre
Armstrong
Beaver
Union
11- 50 Refugees
Note: Refugees and Eligible Immigrants reside in 36 counties in PA, 2011
Adams
York
>51 - 100 Refugees
Delaware
>101 Refugees
Philadelphia
Figure 7 Refugees Who were Diagnosed
with TB Conditions Overseas and
Resettled in PA from 2009 - 2011
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure 8 Refugees Who Completed
Health Screening in PA, 2010 and 2011
Note: Refugees who reside in Philadelphia are excluded since reports were not received.
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure. 9 Percent of Refugees Who Completed
Health Screening by Type of Services in PA 2011
N= 1,733
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure 10 Refugees Who Received Referral
& Interpretation Services in PA, 2011
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure 11 Refugees who were Referred
for Other Health Conditions in 2011
PA RHP_AM 2012
Figure 12 Type of Languages Used
during Health Screening
Type of language
# of Refugees
Arabic
27
Bhutan (Druk Yul)
91
Burma
29
China
1
Karen
23
Nepali
635
Russian
2
Somali
7
Spanish
33
Swahili
5
PA RHP_AM 2012
III. Accomplishments in 2011
Coordination of Health Care:
 Increased number of HCP from 5 to 10
 Increased health screening rate by 32%
 Integrated mental health screening
Deployed two Refugee Case Mangers
Obtained Refugee Preventive Health Grant
PA RHP_AM
RHP_AM 2012
PA
2011
Cont.:
 Electronic Reporting System of PA RH
eSHARE development process continues
 Training and Public Awareness
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300 Educational materials on refugee health distributed
4 conference calls with HCP were conducted
Produced Annual report 2011 made available at
ARHC website to the Public at the national level
 Site monitoring Protocol Developed.
 One site monitoring was done
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Cont.:
Participated in 4 Regional Refugee
Resettlement Collaborative meetings
Developed good communication and
working Relationship with HCP and Local
VOLAGS
PA RHP_AM 2012
IV. Future Plans
Enhance Coordination of Health Care
Epidemiological Refugees Tracking system
development and make it access to all
concerns
Provide Technical support and
Immigration Legal Update
Training and Health Promotion
PA RHP_AM 2012
Cont., Future Plans
 Develop link with academic Institutes
 Identify and study potential health risk among
refugees
 Continue active collaborative work with Key
Partners
 Conduct Site Monitoring
 Documentation and Producing Reports
PA RHP_AM 2012
Reference:

PA, Department of Public Welfare, Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP)
http://www.state.pa.us

PA, Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology, Division of Infectious
Disease Epidemiology, Refugee Health Program Section. http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/
 CDC,
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dg/refugee/fag/fag.htm
 Department of State Human Health service, Office of Refugee
Resettlement: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/program/orr
 United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
http://www.uscis.gov
 Public Health Services Act:
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/about/opdivs/phs.html and http://www.usphs.gov/AboutUs/mission.aspx).
PA RHP_AM 2012
Q &A
THNAKS