1 day Ago By By Jazmine Knight News-Press NOW
For immigrants looking to finalize their permanent residency in the United States, an area health organization is offering a new program. Northwest Health Services in St. Joseph is offering a relatively new program to offer Refugee Medical Screening to others.
Miguel Cruz, Executive Assistant at Northwest Health, also serves as a point of contact for immigrants and refugees. Cruz says Northwest Health was contracted by the federal government to provide health screenings, referrals and follow-up visits for immigrants and refugees. “This process is to help them ensure their permanent residency in the United States,” said Cruz.
This program, which started about six to seven months ago, also helps immigrants retain jobs and further their education. According to Cruz, Northwest Health serves many Haitians and Cubans in the St. Joseph area.
“There’s definitely a need for refugees to have a successful resettlement,” Cruz said. “They can really participate in the new community that they’re going to be a part of.” The process is pretty simple.
You can come to the Family Medical Associates location at 2303 Village Dr. From there, each patient will receive a comprehensive medical exam, lab work, and mental health assessment. During the appointment, the provider will also identify any communicable diseases of public health importance and refer patients to primary health care providers for future examinations.
“I’m one of the first people that they see at the beginning and basically they have an orientation and they have guidance through what it is like going through the healthcare system,” said Cruz, who is from Cuba himself. Cruz wishes more people in the community knew about this program because it is typically cheaper than having the same services done elsewhere. “A lot of vaccines are already paid for through grants and other contractors that we’re working with,” Cruz said.
Northwest Health also offers a sliding-scale discount program for those who may not have access to health insurance. Each discount is based on the individual’s income with nominal payments starting at just $25 a month. For more information visit nwhealth-services.
org or call (816) 232-6818..
