Refugee Health Assessment Program

Up to 75,000 refugees arrive each year in the United States, and about 5 percent of them have settled in Massachusetts in recent years. All refugees are entitled to a health assessment within three months of arrival in the U.S.
  
The goals of the refugee health assessment are:

• General health assessment, including vision, hearing, and dental screening
• Identification and treatment of immediate health needs
• Diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases
• Immunization
• Orientation to the health system in the United States
• Transition to a primary care provider

Once this initial assessment has been done, we are happy to continue to follow patients in our primary care practice or refer them to centers closer to their homes.

The Refugee Health Assessment Program (RHAP) at Boston Medical Center sees patients that are referred from specific resettlement agencies. We do not make appointments for these patients outside BMC Health System. New immigrants to the U.S. should have their appointments made with primary care professionals with whom they plan to establish long-term care.

To refer a patient to the RHAP, please fax a referral to the RHAP Coordinator at 617.414.7230.