 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Nawal Nour, MD, MPH, Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, (617) 732-4740, nnour@partners.org
The African Women’s Health Center (AWHC) has developed an integrated model where it focuses on a holistic approach to direct care, outreach and research. It is changing the way refugee women’s health is addressed, evaluated, organized and conducted in an academic health environment. The Center’s model involves a complete transformation from the traditionally segregated aspect of teaching, clinical services, research and community outreach; instead, it has integrated multi-disciplinary systems and united them around the single goal; improving African refugee women’s health. Its efforts not only reach inward to the academic arena but also outward to promote public education, community collaboration, and to pursue policy changes through advocacy.
The AWHC, located at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston provides four pillars of services: direct clinical care, education, outreach and research. It operates the first and only clinic in the United States specifically addressing the health needs of African immigrant/refugee women, especially women who have undergone female genital cutting (FGC). Providers in the practice offer sensitive, high-quality, culturally and linguistically appropriate obstetric, gynecological and reproductive care. Members of the team have traveled throughout the U.S. to improve reproductive health services for African immigrant/refugee and circumcised women, and to promote eradication of FGC. Working closely with patients, health providers, and community organizations, the reproductive health workshops help refugee women understand issues involving access to health care, reproductive health, childcare, and female genital cutting. In addition, it trains health care providers on how to give culturally and linguistically competent care to women who have been circumcised. Research has included clinical studies to improve the quality of obstetric/gynecologic care and health outcomes of patients with FGC, and qualitative activities designed to understand the cultural challenges in addressing this practice.
By engaging in collaborative research, advocacy and outreach circumcised and African women have voiced an appreciation for this model. Evaluations have demonstrated trust in clinical care with less than 1% no show rate, 4.75/5 (5=excellent) for the reproductive health workshop and 97% participation in research. This model provides excellent multi-disciplinary reproductive care to underserved women and educates them on positive approaches to health seeking behavior.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Reproductive Health, Refugees
Related Web page: www.brighamandwomens.org/africanwomenscenter
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Brigham and Women's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliated Hospital.
Office of Refugee Resettlement
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Brigham and Women's Hospital - employment.
Office of Refugee Resettlement - grant