Refugee Health Care Provider Resources

On this page:
Refugee health screening guidance
Clinical decision support tools
Refugee Health Assessment forms
Population-specific treatment resources
Minnesota civil surgeons
University of Minnesota Global Health Program
CDC programs and resources

Clinical resources for health professionals who complete the Refugee Health Assessment, including:

• Guidance
• Clinical decision support tools
• Forms
• Population-specific medical information

Refugee health screening guidance

• Minnesota Domestic Refugee Health Screening Guidance
  Guidance designed for health care providers who perform the Minnesota Refugee Health Assessment exam. The Minnesota Refugee Health Program (MRHP) routinely reviews and revises this guidance to align with CDC’s guidance updates.
  The Minnesota Initial Refugee Health Assessment | Immunizations | Tuberculosis (TB) | Viral Hepatitis | Sexual and Reproductive Health | HIV | Intestinal Parasites | Malaria | Blood Lead | Mental Health | Working with Medical Interpreters | Glossary

Clinical decision support tools

• CareRef
  An interactive web application that guides clinicians through conducting a routine post-arrival medical screening of a newly arrived refugee to the U.S.
• VaxRef
  An interactive web application that helps translate immunization records from Arabic, Dari. French, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or Ukrainian to English. Users must be able to read the immunization records in the original language.
• Clinical Decision Support for Newcomer Health
  Suite of clinical decision support tools (order sets and documentation templates) designed to be embedded in electronic health record (EHR) systems and provide clinicians with up-to-date CDC: Refugee Health Domestic Guidance and CareRef recommendations. 

Refugee Health Assessment forms

An initial Refugee Health Assessment is recommended for all primary refugees within 90 days of their arrival in Minnesota.

• Minnesota Initial Refugee Health Assessment Form (PDF) updated 10/2021
  Download, print, complete, and return this form (preferably within 30 days of screening).
• Refugee/Immigrant Health Assessment Outcome Report (PDF) updated 9/2019

Population-specific treatment resources

• Migrant Health Guide
  This guide from the United Kingdom is a "one stop shop" for information to support practitioners in assessing and treating migrant patients.
• EthnoMed
  Addresses cultural beliefs, medical issues, and other topics related to the health care of recent immigrants; includes clinical topics and multilingual patient education materials.
• Immigrant Child Health
  Information and resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics on providing culturally effective care.

Minnesota civil surgeons

• Minnesota Civil Surgeons
  United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)-designated medical providers in Minnesota who can complete the I-693 or adjustment of status medical exam. Includes a contact list for Civil Surgeons, Civil Surgeons' Frequently Asked Questions, and additional resources regarding the adjustment of status exam and immigration.

University of Minnesota Global Medicine Program

Access the free Introduction to Immigrant and Refugee Health Course from the University of Minnesota Global Medicine Program. Presentations and videos include:

• Introduction to Cross-Cultural Communication by Patricia Walker
• Effective Communication Across Language and Culture by Kevin Larsen
• Best Practices in Immigrant and Refugee Care by Michael Westerhaus
• Domestic Refugee Screening – a Public Health Perspective by Ann O’Fallon
• Special Issues in Immigrant Immunization by Elizabeth Barnett
• Mental Health in Resettlement and Adjustment by Georgi Kroupin
• Torture Survivors: Screening, Assessment, and Referral by Steven Miles

CDC programs and resources

• CDC: Immigrant and Refugee Health
  Includes medical screening guidelines for refugees and immigrants.
• CDC: DPDx - Laboratory Identification of Parasites of Public Health Concern
  Offers diagnostic assistance, references, and training on parasitic diseases.
• CDC: Global Health Protection
  CDC program responsible for responding to humanitarian emergencies.
• CDC: Travelers' Health
  Information to assist travelers and health care providers in preventing illness and injury during international travel.
• CDC Wonder
  Provides access to a wide variety of reports and numeric public health data.