IMPACT REPORT 2019-2023
FROM COVID-19 TO NOW
The pandemic forced agencies and offices throughout the state to recognize the special vulnerabilities of underserved and underrepresented communities which we have been documenting for some time. Working with MDA and its other refugee community based partners, we saw the mobilization of CHWs and the life saving work they performed.
HISTORY
2012
Started under CNNC, UNCG
2012-2017
Pioneering CBPR, Montagnard Hypertension Project
2019
Moved to MDA; international recognition; CAC formed
2021
First Symposium, academics and community united
COVID Years
Expanded work with other marginalized refugee and immigrant communities
IMPACTS & OUTCOMES
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- Creation of best practices for CBPR, CES, SLCE projects
- Mentorship of next-gen refugee/immigrant BIPOC leaders
- Innovative alignment of higher ed resources
- Tight alignment of research and community
- Published scholarship
- Award winning
DIRECTIONS
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- Strategic funding, research, and development
- Network membership growth and outreach
- System change through social justice practice
- Community health and wellness
- Youth, career, and system mentoring and navigation
OPPORTUNITIES
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- Rapidly changing demographics and generational leadership
- Disaggregated data to improve service and policy
- Accurate stories to replace stereotypes and gaps
- Influencing and informing system players
- Sharing, disseminating CBPR methods and success models
Advocacy
Disaggregated Data
We continue to push system players and policy makers to fine tune their data about the communities we work with — low-income Asian American Communities of Refugee Origin (LIAACRO) — as they develop and implement policies.
To better serve the needs of immigrant and refugee communities and properly address disparities and inequities, it’s critical to use disaggregated data. We don't bury Black maternal care in overall population reporting, we don't combine income levels of families from rural (Rockingham) and metropolitan (Guilford) counties, and we shouldn't mix very, very high-income Asian American family incomes and their health outcomes with those of very low-income families of refugee or immigrant origin. A family from Black Africa, having recently arrived from a refugee camp, has different needs than a family that's called North Carolina their home for centuries.
Along these lines, we are collaborating with Greensboro’s Language Access Coordinator and GIS Manager for secondary data acess and anaylsis. And we will be following up with Guilford County Public Health after our encouraging meeting with them in June about population numbers and disaggregated data.
Cone Hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment
With Cone Hospital’s 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) due, our Network and community partners met with the Cone team in April. We provided the rationale for and examples of inclusion/integration of refugee and immigrant health data since newcomer communities are clearly within definitions of medically underserved, low-income, or minority populations.
Cone, which has served Montagnards and other refugee groups for decades, can assist these communities and improve their health outcomes with accurate data that is made publicly available. We continue to offer our assistance and expertise.
In May, Network member Andrew Young followed up on the subject with a letter to the editor of the Greensboro News and Record.
OPPORTUNITIES
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- Since 2012.
- Research into action.
- Real community needs.
- Demonstrated impact.