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Community-Clinic Partnership (CCP) – Refugee Health Equity in Syracuse

Mission statement

To support collaboration between health systems and community partners in an effort to improve the health of the local refugee and immigrant population in Syracuse, New York.

Overview

The SUNY Upstate Center for International Health is dedicated to supporting local refugee outreach and health outcomes research through a Community-Clinic Partnership (CCP) between SUNY Upstate and Catholic Charities of Onondaga County Refugee Resettlement Services. The Community-Clinic partnership connects leaders of healthcare systems and agencies, improves health outcomes, and facilitates outreach and disease surveillance of the refugee population in the city of Syracuse. With a team of dedicated clinicians, scientists, project leaders and students, SUNY Upstate engages in cross-cutting activities aimed at bolstering community health for the local Syracuse refugee population. This Community-Clinic partnership (CCP) improves health and wellness for the local refugee population through a variety of projects.

Published work and presented posters

The CCP is also dedicated to advancing and contributing to the field through published works and poster presentations. The papers and posters linked here overview some of the CCP's initiatives in Syracuse and represent our commitment to disseminating health outcomes research.

Presented Posters

Publications

Shaw J, Anderson KB, Fabi RE, Thompson CA, Harris M, Aljabbarin N, Bolourchi D, Mozo N, Lichtenstein D, Lupone CD, Larsen DA, Shaw AV. COVID-19 vaccination intention and behavior in a large, diverse, U.S. refugee population. Vaccine. 2022 Feb 23;40(9):1231-1237. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.057. Epub 2022 Feb 1. PMID: 35125223; PMCID: PMC8806127.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35125223/

Lupone CD, Daniels D, Lammert D, Borsuk R, Hobart T, Lane S, Shaw A. Lead Exposure in Newly Resettled Pediatric Refugees in Syracuse, NY. J Immigr Minor Health. 2020 Feb;22(1):34-43. doi: 10.1007/s10903-019-00880-y. PMID: 30895418; PMCID: PMC6952323.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30895418/

Sous W, Lupone CD, Harris MA, Mohamed A, Mohamed L, Lakomski MJ, Seward S, Shaw AV. Integrated Care Management to Improve Diabetes Outcomes in Refugee and Immigrant Patients (I-Care). Health Equity. 2021 Nov 17;5(1):781-788. doi: 10.1089/heq.2020.0143. PMID: 34909549; PMCID: PMC8665810.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34909549/

Harris, M. A., Lupone, C. D., Asiago-Reddy, E., Anderson, K. B., Cronkright, P., Blatt, S. D., … & Shaw, A. V. (2020). Community-Clinical Partnership: Engaging health navigators to support refugees and non-refugee immigrants amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-115115/v1

Kuroda M, Shaw AV, Campagna CD. The experiences of community health workers when communicating with refugees about COVID-19 vaccines in Syracuse, NY: A qualitative study. Heliyon. 2024 Feb 9;10(4):e26136. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26136. PMID: 38434037; PMCID: PMC10906162.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38434037/

Harris, M. A., Colvin, K. F., Lindner, N. E., Manganello, J. A., Mohamed, L., & Shaw, A. V. (2021). Development and Initial Validation of the Refugee Health Literacy Assessment Tool (RHLAT). American Journal of Health Education, 52(6), 402-410.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19325037.2021.1978908

Daniels D, Imdad A, Buscemi-Kimmins T, Vitale D, Rani U, Darabaner E, Shaw A, Shaw J. Vaccine hesitancy in the refugee, immigrant, and migrant population in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022 Nov 30;18(6):2131168. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2131168. Epub 2022 Nov 4. PMID: 36332155; PMCID: PMC9746503.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36332155/

Goble G, Formica M, Lane SD, Sous M, Stroup C, Rubinstein RA, Shaw A. Refugee Births and the Migrant Health Effect in Syracuse NY. Matern Child Health J. 2023 Sep;27(9):1599-1606. doi: 10.1007/s10995-023-03694-5. Epub 2023 Jun 7. PMID: 37284922; PMCID: PMC10244839.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37284922/

Olson BG, Kurland Y, Rosenbaum PF, Hobart TR. Rapid Weight Gain in Pediatric Refugees after US Immigration. J Immigr Minor Health. 2017 Apr;19(2):263-266. doi: 10.1007/s10903-016-0461-8. PMID: 27393334.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27393334/

CIH funding page

Projects and initiatives

Health Screening at Refugee Community Center – Weekly CCP students conduct basic health screenings of blood sugars and blood pressure to identify immigrants who need to be seen quickly due to high readings. Originally this service was implemented to be an intermediary to catch people who’s high blood pressure or sugar levels were not found in overseas medical exams but could be waiting for 3 or more months due to high numbers of arrivals and limited qualified providers. Those with dangerous readings were advised to seek either emergency medical care, or their resettlement agencies would be notified that the patient would need to receive an expedited health assessment. These screenings have identified [insert data] high risk patients who were able to get these previously un-identified issues addressed.

Annual Preventative Health Fair at Refugee Community Center – October (Breast cancer awareness month!) This Health Fair is an opportunity for CCP participants to annually coordinate multiple screening and health education partners to provide services to immigrant populations at the same time. Past screens include cancer, audiology, visions, blood sugar and blood pressure, and mental health. Past health education partners include vaccination, lead poisoning and exposure, Lyme disease, poison control, healthy families program, healthy neighborhoods program, breathwork, yoga, physical therapy, dental, and Medicaid. These booths provide accessible information and screenings for participants who otherwise struggle to access these screens or information in a low-threshold environment.

Promoting health literacy through education + outreach- health education and outreach sessions conducted by CCP students are provided in partnership with local English language and citizenship classes. Sessions have included a series on preventative dental care, and various youth health promotion topics.

Community Vaccine clinics – increasing access to care – In an effort to address vaccine hesitance and reduce access barriers, CCP students facilitate flu and covid vaccine clinics at Catholic Charities. This important provision helps build trust with the community, as the resettlement agencies are a trusted resource. Furthermore, as flue is a required vaccine for the Green Card application, it creates easy access for the entire family to easily fulfill this requirement in a convenient and well-known location, with the assistance of a linguistic and cultural alignment.

Upstate Medical University