Refugee Health Program
Our Refugee Health Program, founded in 2005 and located at Brown Square Health Center, is the primary health care provider for refugees resettling in Rochester. We conduct a 2-visit refugee assessment, under the guidelines of the N.Y. State Refugee Health Department, and provide on-going primary health care. Our providers also help refugees with medical documents required for Green Card, disability, and citizenship applications. In-house interpreters provide on-site interpreting in the major refugee languages (Ukrainian/Russian, Somali/ Maay Maay, Burmese/Karen, Spanish, and Vietnamese). Staff members also speak Swahili, French, and Kirundi.
We collaborate with NY State Interpretalk to do telephonic interpretation and Catholic Family Services to provide in-person interpreters for many other languages. We also work with other organizations assisting refugees including the Catholic Family Center, the Rochester City School District and its ESOL programs, the Family Learning Center, Strong Memorial Hospital, the NY State Refugee Health Program, Monroe County's TB and Immunization Programs, Empire Justice, many churches, and many students from the University of Rochester's Medical School, Public Health School, Nazareth and RIT. A Community Refugee Board oversees our program.
Advocacy on state and federal levels on language access, including Medicaid reimbursement for medical interpretation, refugee admissions flow and ceilings, and new green card immunization requirements. Grant-writing to fund current and new programs, including outreach workers. Improved local systems for language access and transportation to medical appointments.
Contact: Louise B. Bennett, M.D. • Medical Director • Brown Square Health Center
Westside Health Services
Westside Health Services is a non-for-profit, federally funded, independent, community health center established in 1982 with sites at Brown Square and Woodward Health Centers. We serve over 8000 patients, providing quality family health care from birth to death, including prenatal and obstetrical, nutritional, social work, insurance counseling and advocacy, lab, and dental services on site.
We also have special HIV and refugee programs. We accept most insurances, including Medicaid and Family Health Plus, and offer a sliding fee scale through our federal 330 Grant. We collaborate with the University of Rochester's Family Medicine Residency Program as a residency site. Our doctors also see patients at Strong and Highland Hospitals.
Locations:
- Brown Square Health Center 322 Lake Ave Rochester, NY 14608 585-254-6480
- Woodward Health Center 480 Genesee St Rochester, NY 14611 585-436-3040