Advancing the Centers of Excellence in Newcomer Health

Every year, tens of thousands of refugees and 500,000 immigrants resettle to the U.S. from overseas. CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) is focused on improving the health among immigrants (including Special Immigrant Visa holders), asylees, parolees, survivors of victims of torture, human trafficking victims, and refugees through public health partnerships, science, and response. These newcomers can be particularly at-risk populations, often marginalized from public health surveillance, and from preventive treatment and health care in their home countries and countries of temporary asylum. DGMQ is looking for new approaches to outreach to these newcomer populations to analyze healthcare needs, improve health literacy, and better inform clinicians of best practices in caring for these individuals. This funding opportunity will advance the Centers of Excellence in Refugee Health to the Centers of Excellence in Newcomer Health to improve newcomer health outcomes, increase healthcare provider capacity, and to increase evidence-based health policy decisions around these populations. The Centers of Excellence in Refugee Health (2015-2020) developed a secure data repository of health information of recently arrived newcomers, assisted CDC in the revision of health screening guidelines for these populations, and created an online tool to assist clinicians with the CDC health screening guidelines. The Centers of Excellence in Newcomer Health will focus on two or more areas including 1) the use of the multi-state/regional surveillance network to determine which health issues are most prominent amongst newcomer populations in the short and longer term; 2) the development of clinical training tools, presentations, and webinars to inform US clinicians of the new CDC screening recommendations; 3) the development of health orientation materials for newcomers; and 4) the development and enhancement of health information materials for clinicians and newcomers. These Centers will provide expertise in these program areas, build upon existing infrastructure, and collaborate with partners focusing on these at-risk populations.