Normalized Healthcare Utilization Among Refugees Resettled in Philadelphia, 2007-2016

Background/Purpose: About 70,000 new refugees are resettled in the United States each year, of which approximately 600 are resettled in Philadelphia. This project seeks to better understand the patterns of healthcare utilization, including primary care, emergency, and hospitalization, among refugees resettled in Philadelphia, PA, between 2007 and 2016. Methods: Demographic and healthcare utilization data for 1,144 refugees seen at Jefferson Family Medical Associates were compiled from the Jefferson Longitudinal Refugee Health Registry. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic characteristics of the refugee population. Negative binomial count regressions were used to test for significant correlations between major demographic variables and healthcare utilization. Results: Refugees had an average of 7.24 (SD = 9.35) and a median of 4 primary care visits. Visits rates were highest during the first eight months post resettlement and declined significantly after expiration of Refugee Medical Assistance. Country of origin and year of arrival were significantly associated with differing rates of healthcare utilization. Discussion: Overall, refugees utilized primary healthcare services at a slightly higher rate than the U.S. average. There are differences in utilization among various sub-populations within the refugee community. Future studies should further explore these differences in healthcare utilization patterns among recently resettled refugees

Public Health in Undergraduate Medical Education—An Innovative Four-Year Area of Concentration

The development of programmatic tracks providing students with academic opportunities outside of the traditional medical curriculum represents a national trend in medical education. With five-year HRSA funding, TJUSKMC created a four year longitudinal area of concentration in Population Health. Key components include: Year 1 – enhanced population health components of Introduction to Clinical Medicine, community immersions Summer – population health related programs locally and globally Year 2 – case studies linked to Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine applying social and behavioral foundations of Public Health Year 3 – enhanced clerkship experiences Year 4 – community-based electives and completion of a Capstone Project. Five cohorts (180 students) have entered the program with benefits including a certificate upon program completion, recognition in Dean’s letters, and 15 credits applied to the Jefferson MPH program. A description of the program will be presented along with characteristics of enrolled students, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability plans in the SKMC’s Second Centennial Curriculum. Objectives: Participants viewing this poster should be able to: 1. Organize an approach to integrating population health content into a health professional curriculum. 2. Apply a methodology to recruit students into an area of concentration in population health. 3. Identify the challenges inherent in curricular reform and innovation