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New health endeavor examines how immigrants face health disparities

A stethoscope, a mask, a passport, and a plane on a table.
Shutterstock
/
Halawi
Migrants to the United States face some unique barriers to health care access

When health experts and researchers seek to examine the most vulnerable populations in this country they often land on immigrant populations. Research from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that immigrant families often forgo needed health care and social services because they fear interactions with public agencies.

There are also cultural, language barriers for immigrants trying to access health care, and other social services in this country. A new reporting series that is part Ideastream's “Connecting the Dots between Race and Health” project examines some of the barriers faced by local immigrant when trying to access healthcare.

With the help of the local agency The Refugee Response the videos and stories produced focus on African migrants who ended up in Northeast Ohio. Freshwater Cleveland also published these stories.

Today on the program, we dig into this latest series with the reporter telling the stories, the Executive Director of The Refugee Response, and several immigrants who were featured in the reporting series.

Later on the program, a wrap on 2022 with this year's final episode of Shuffle. Amanda Rabinowitz and Brittany Nader discuss their favorite local music of the past year.

Guests:

- Sydney Kornegay, Freelance Writer and Reporter

- Patrick Kearns, Executive Director, The Refugee Response

- Esther Ngemba, Immigrant, Student, Small business owner

- J. Ikenna Ogwuegbu, Immigrant, Pharmacist, Founder of IKON Health Foundation

- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host and Producer, “Shuffle” and “All Things Considered”

- Brittany Nader, Producer, “Shuffle”

Drew Maziasz is a coordinating producer for the "Sound of Ideas" and also serves as the show’s technical producer.