Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center
Title: Refugee Healthcare: A Masterclass in GLOBO Interpretation Services
Student Interns:
Gabrielle Audu
Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Alec Deegan
Thomas Jefferson University, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Academic Preceptor:
Zoë Van Orsdol, MA, MPH
Thomas Jefferson University, College of Population Health
Community Preceptor:
Jenna Gosnay, LSW
Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center
Community Site:
The Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center aims to increase access to necessary medical and supportive healthcare for the historically underserved communities of South Philadelphia. Services offered at the Wyss Center include primary and specialty clinical care, elder health and wellness care, COVID-19 vaccinations, social services, domestic violence assistance, community arts, literacy and educational programs, and employment aid.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps interns collaborated with the social worker, physicians, and community workers at SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition) to address the physical and social needs of the patients at the Wyss Center. Because many of the patients are refugees, the interns educated them on the impending changes to Medicaid that may affect their insurance coverage and provided them with alternative options. They also helped patients schedule follow-up appointments, apply for utility assistance programs, and learn important technology skills. In doing so, the BTG interns helped bridge the gap between the Wyss Center and the healthcare system that patients often find inaccessible because of language, technology, and cultural barriers.
Reflections
Over the course of this internship, I have had the opportunity to speak with patients from a diversity of cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Though my interactions with the patients were often brief or complicated by the language barrier, I gained much from this experience. I learned about the challenges that refugees face in accessing healthcare and finding employment and childcare. I learned about the Medicaid policies for immigrants and how to navigate difficult conversations with patients who may lose their insurance coverage. These lessons will prove vital throughout the remainder of medical school and my career as a physician. I now have a better understanding of how social workers assist patients and the importance of addressing the emotional and social needs of patients, in addition to their physical health. I look forward to future opportunities that I may have to work with and support refugees.
Gabrielle Audu
This summer at Bridging the Gaps, I was exposed to the many challenges non-English-speaking patients face when seeking healthcare, expanding my understanding of patient care beyond the office visit. Addressing these challenges begins with asking, ‘How can we ensure patients understand their medications? How can we help them successfully schedule referrals?’ The staff at the Wyss Center respond to questions like these every day with patience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to making sure patients receive the care they deserve, and I hope to carry their example with me into the future as a physician.
Alec Deegan