NRC-RIM Partners with Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers on NARHC Conference

Two women standing in front of poster presentation at the 2019 NARHC conference


NRC-RIM is partnering with the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers to offer a special track at the North American Refugee Health Conference (NARHC) specifically for COVID-19 public health efforts.

This is the first year NARHC has offered a public health track. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more clear that comprehensive healthcare has to include public health,” said Erin Mann, MPH, program manager at NRC-RIM. “We are excited to be a partner in this important effort.”

More than 700 healthcare and resettlement professionals working in refugee and immigrant health are expected to attend the conference, which will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, from June 23-25. Registration is open now.

Plenary speakers will cover topics such as language justice, maternal health equity and immigration-informed medical care. The two organizations are accepting abstracts in the field of COVID-19 public health and several other categories: advocacy, chronic disease, community, education/research, infectious disease, mental health, models of care, nutrition and body, pediatrics, screening, vaccines, and women’s health. Abstracts are due March 18.  

NRC-RIM is supporting public health professionals and NACCHO grantees interested in attending the conference by covering registration fees. This is an effort to remove barriers to accessing the conference and encourage greater participation among public health professionals. Learn more and apply now

There is also a scholarship available for previously resettled refugees who work, study or who are training in a health field. This is aligned with the Society's mission to promote equity in healthcare for refugees and asylum seekers. “We not only need to have healthcare providers who understand refugee health, we also have a responsibility to  support current and future healthcare providers who themselves identify as previously resettled refugees,” said Sarah Clarke, a coordinator at the Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers. “Their lived experience and professional expertise is invaluable as we seek to learn from each other and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes for the patients that we serve.”