Posted by Ann Corcoran on October 27, 2014
Why introduce the program to Wyoming when states with refugee resettlement are having problems? That is the gist of what Michael Elmore, a representative of a citizens’ group, told Campbell County Health trustees last week.
What is in it for Wyoming?
Why talk to a hospital board? Because county health departments/hospitals are on the front lines of taking care of newly arrived refugees with myriad health problems.Just this morning I see a report from Philadelphia where Children’s Hospital is reporting on the Burmese refugees the hospital must clear of health problems at taxpayer expense (or is it at the expense of the hospital?):
The CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) Refugee Program works with three of the 3 resettlement agencies to care for Burmese children who come to Philadelphia within the first 30 to 60 days of their time in the U.S. CHOP physicians perform physicals, give immunizations and ensure the children will have no medical barriers to enrolling in school.
Regular readers know that we have been following the controversy in Wyoming for months.In September of 2013, Republican governor Matt Mead wrote a letterto the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement expressing his intention of welcoming a resettlement program and thus making Wyoming the 50th state in the nation to invite in the UN, the US State Department, the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and a Lutheran resettlement contractor to change the demographic makeup of the state.[More]