JUNE 7, 2012 REPORT TO RING MEETING ON THE MONTAGARD HEALTH PROJECT: Montagnard Health Disparities Research Network, Community Health Workers Model, Medical English Class, Women’s Learning Group
GO TO PART 1: MONTAGNARD HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH NETWORK
PART 2
GIANTS AND PYGMIES
REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM VERSUS MONTAGNARD COMMUNITY
(Just) 15 Steps to the Orange Card
Food Pyramid Designed To Make A Sick Population
Accessing Refugee Social Networks To Improve Health
Visually-Based Health Information
What Refugee Doctors Say
Explanation of Language Barriers
Competitive Game Behavior Explains Poor Health Outcomes
COMPARING COSTS
Moses Cone Regional Health System boasts “1,000 Skilled Physicians”. If all were salaried at a modest (for MDs) $100,000, then annual physicians’ salaries total $100,000,000. By comparison, the cost of 2 Montagnard community health workers has hovered at less than $10,000 per year combined, with no perks or benefits. In a very short time our two original CHWs have impacted the lives of hundreds of members of the Montagnard community. Could any Moses Cone doctor boast the same?
HUMAN CAPITAL
US MONTAGNARD HEALTH PERSONNEL
TOTAL: ABOUT 60 INDIVIDUALS
Community Health Workers (CHWs),
Number: 6
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Able to reach families, mothers and children across tribes
• Greatest needs: Regular pay, phone cards and gas money
Health Students
Number: ± 25
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Young
• Not receiving career/academic counseling
• Not being recruited by area colleges and universities
• Not targeted for grants, scholarships, etc
• Not getting health data about their community’s status
• Don’t regularly connect/meet with one another
• Operating in an academic vacuum
US-Trained Health Professionals
Number: ± 15
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Understand American and community cultures
• Early in their careers
• No professional association support
• Don’t regularly connect/meet with one another
• Operating in a professional vacuum
Former Physicians and Health Professionals
Number: ± 15
• Highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable, highly motivated
• Unidentified, until now
• Not interested in recertification
• Need training
• Need income while they train
• Need opportunities to gain US clinical experience
• Need career path
The Montagnard community has the health personnel and commitment to solve its health problems and improve the lives of community members.
GO TO PART 1: MONTAGNARD HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH NETWORK
Money shot. Montagnard doctor with first-time mom. Although not certified to practice in the US, she can communicate directly in Jarai with community members, has medical and clinical experience that exceeds that of American resettlement agencies, phone interpreters and community health workers, understands the culture and can communicate with American health professionals.
PART 2
GIANTS AND PYGMIES
REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM VERSUS MONTAGNARD COMMUNITY
(Just) 15 Steps to the Orange Card
Food Pyramid Designed To Make A Sick Population
Accessing Refugee Social Networks To Improve Health
Visually-Based Health Information
What Refugee Doctors Say
Explanation of Language Barriers
Competitive Game Behavior Explains Poor Health Outcomes
Do any speak Jarai? The monthly cost of this billboard would pay for a community health worker to visit families, get moms without transportation to doctors’ offices, check up on living conditions, and make sure prescriptions were being followed.
COMPARING COSTS
Moses Cone Regional Health System boasts “1,000 Skilled Physicians”. If all were salaried at a modest (for MDs) $100,000, then annual physicians’ salaries total $100,000,000. By comparison, the cost of 2 Montagnard community health workers has hovered at less than $10,000 per year combined, with no perks or benefits. In a very short time our two original CHWs have impacted the lives of hundreds of members of the Montagnard community. Could any Moses Cone doctor boast the same?
HUMAN CAPITAL
US MONTAGNARD HEALTH PERSONNEL
TOTAL: ABOUT 60 INDIVIDUALS
Community Health Workers (CHWs),
Number: 6
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Able to reach families, mothers and children across tribes
• Greatest needs: Regular pay, phone cards and gas money
Health Students
Number: ± 25
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Young
• Not receiving career/academic counseling
• Not being recruited by area colleges and universities
• Not targeted for grants, scholarships, etc
• Not getting health data about their community’s status
• Don’t regularly connect/meet with one another
• Operating in an academic vacuum
US-Trained Health Professionals
Number: ± 15
• Community member, “culturally competent”
• Inclined to help no matter what
• Heavily invested in community
• Understand American and community cultures
• Early in their careers
• No professional association support
• Don’t regularly connect/meet with one another
• Operating in a professional vacuum
Former Physicians and Health Professionals
Number: ± 15
• Highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable, highly motivated
• Unidentified, until now
• Not interested in recertification
• Need training
• Need income while they train
• Need opportunities to gain US clinical experience
• Need career path
The Montagnard community has the health personnel and commitment to solve its health problems and improve the lives of community members.
