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NEWS FROM
CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE
May 22, 2009
Institute for Community Health Receives Grant
to Study Impact of Immigrant Enforcement on Health
Cambridge, MA…Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, Executive Director
of the Institute for Community Health (ICH), has been awarded a
Harvard Catalyst Pilot Grant to study the "Impact of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement Efforts on Immigrant Health." ICH is
based at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard-affiliated public
healthcare system.
"Increased immigration enforcement efforts across the country
are creating a climate of fear and discrimination for both documented
and undocumented immigrants," said Dr. Hacker, who also serves
as an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
She also noted that local communities are struggling to meet the
demands of these new populations and are creating their own immigration
policies which limit access to entitlements, education, and health
care. Preliminary data suggests that fear of deportation is not
only affecting immigrant mental health but is changing the way that
immigrants access health care.
The community of Everett, Mass., has engaged Dr. Hacker and a group
of investigators to study the impact of more intensive enforcement
on immigrant health. The team will use community-based participatory
research methodologies, particularly focusing on undocumented immigrants,
and will subsequently identify potential interventions at either
the clinical or policy level that may support immigrant health and
wellbeing. The researchers will also examine the potential applicability
of these interventions to other communities including Cambridge,
Somerville, and Boston.
Dr. Hacker will work with a team of researchers from Cambridge
Health Alliance, Harvard School of Public Health and the Kennedy
School, Tufts Medical Center, and seven community organizations
(Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health (Somerville), La Comunidad,
Inc., Joint Committee for Children's Health Care in Everett (JCCHCE),
the Everett Literacy Program, Muslim American Civic and Cultural
Association (MACCA), and the Immaculate Conception and St. Anthony's
churches in Everett).
Harvard Catalyst | The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science
Center awarded grants to 62 out of 607 projects submitted by investigators
from across Harvard and its affiliated healthcare centers. With
these one-year, $50,000 grants, Harvard Catalyst aims to stimulate
clinical and translational research by bringing together researchers
from different institutions and/or disciplines to jointly address
specific scientific questions, generate the preliminary data needed
to apply for long-term funding, and focus scientific resources and
expertise on high-risk, high-impact areas of research. For more
information, visit http://catalyst.harvard.edu.
The Institute for Community Health (ICH) is a unique collaboration
of three Massachusetts health care systems to improve the health
of Cambridge, Somerville, and surrounding cities and towns. Founding
members are Cambridge Health Alliance, the Mount Auburn Hospital,
and the Massachusetts General Hospital of Partners HealthCare. ICH
stimulates the creation of innovative programs and health policies
through a community-based approach that promotes long-term healthy
lifestyles. For more information, visit www.icommunityhealth.org.
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Media Contact
David Cecere
Media Relations Manager
Phone: 617-503-8428
Cell: 617-921-9613
Pager: 617-546-1879
dcecere@challiance.org
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