On Monday, January 27th, 2025, our Refugee Health Unit (RHU) team successfully co-hosted our Center’s first Refugee and Immigrant Health Summit with our community partners. The Refugee & Immigrant Health Summit convened over 100 participants, including community leaders, researchers, and healthcare and public health practitioners to address the pressing health needs of refugee and immigrant communities. Robust discussions highlighted the interconnectedness of healthcare access, housing, and mental health for advancing health equity, and acknowledged the need for both systemic policy change and grassroots efforts. This summit was a powerful demonstration of our collective commitment to equity-driven action and authentic community partnerships.
The summit’s main topics—healthcare navigation and cultural humility, mental health, and housing as a foundational health issue—were carefully selected by a subcommittee of community leaders from the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition (SDRCC), one of the summit’s co-hosts. These topics reflect priorities identified directly by community members, ensuring that the discussions were rooted in the lived experiences and pressing concerns of refugee and immigrant populations. This collaborative process underscored our shared belief in centering the voices of those most impacted by inequities.
Through dynamic dialogue, the summit created opportunities to co-design strategies that address social determinants of health, promote culturally informed care, and dismantle barriers to healthcare access—all with the overarching goal of advancing health equity. Participants offered concrete ideas and recommendations focused on addressing the Social Determinants of Health, including: improving workforce development and career pathways for refugee and immigrant youth; supporting housing assistance programs; institutionalizing the role of Community Health Workers and promoting community-based care; increasing awareness of how the healthcare system works and resources that are available; integrating trauma-informed approaches into education and healthcare systems; and more. In healthcare settings, medical practitioners emphasized the importance of trust, recognizing the diversity of patient experiences and backgrounds, medical-legal partnerships, and training and education in immigrant and refugee health in order to provide better patient-centered care.
One of the summit’s highlights was the unveiling of the Blessing Boat Art Project, a profound symbol of resilience and a tribute to the invaluable contributions of refugee and immigrant communities to our collective cultural fabric.
Looking ahead, the summit serves as more than a moment—it is a movement. It was a call to action to deepen partnerships and shared responsibility during this pivotal time in our country. Together with SDRCC, refugee leaders, and community collaborators, we are committed to identifying research opportunities that directly address the evolving needs of the community and foster equitable outcomes.
We extend heartfelt gratitude to SDRCC, the County of San Diego Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, UC San Diego Health, UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and all our partners for their vital contributions to this transformative work.
To learn more about our work at the Refugee Health Unit, click here.