More than 350 refugees in the Omaha area received health care screenings and education at the annual fall Refugee Health Fair on Nov. 3 at Benson High School.
The participants included a variety of refugees with eight different languages spoken (Somali, Karen, Karenni, Chin, Burmese, Arabic, Spanish and Nepali). They received flu shots and screenings for Body Mass Index (BMI), vision, dental and blood pressure as well as testing for lead and glucose levels.
The event was hosted by Bridge to Care, a UNMC student-led interprofessional organization focused on refugee health. The group coordinated the involvement of more than 80 volunteers across all health professions and student organizations on the UNMC campus, including the colleges of medicine, public health, pharmacy allied health professions and graduate studies in addition to more than 30 community-based clinics and health organizations.
Students from the Creighton University schools of dentistry and pharmacy and the College of Saint Mary’s occupational therapy program also were involved in providing health care services. Godfather’s provided lunch for all volunteers and participants.
The Bridge to Care team thanks all participants for their willingness to make a difference in the lives of underserved communities. For more information on Bridge to Care and its outreach, please contact Jessica Wiens or Drissa Toure, M.D., community clinical research coordinator, Center for Health Disparities, College of Public Health.
Nice to see some people still care for others.