Refugee Health Section

The Refugee Health Section (RHS) coordinates refugee health services in California and assists in the control and containment of infectious diseases amongst newly arriving refugee populations.  The following are descriptions of key RHS programs:  

• Under the Refugee Health Assessment Program (RHAP), refugee impacted local health jurisdictions provide culturally and linguistically appropriate, comprehensive health assessments to newly arriving refugees, asylees, and victims of severe forms of trafficking.  The California Refugee Health Assessment (CRHA) provides early diagnosis, intervention, referral and health education for chronic and infectious diseases, assessment and intervention for immunizations, and continuity of care through medical record transfer.

• Under the Refugee Preventive Health Program (RPHP), refugee impacted local health jurisdictions implement strategies to improve follow-up and treatment of chronic health conditions identified during the CRHA amongst newly arriving refugees, asylees, and victims of severe forms of trafficking.  The RPHP promotes community-based partnerships for the development and implementation of effective strategies to reduce and prevent diseases and promote healthier lifestyles amongst refugees in California.
• Under the Refugee Infectious Disease Surveillance (RIDS) Program, the RHS is enhancing the Refugee Health Electronic Information System (RHEIS), a Web-based information management system that captures comprehensive refugee health data from local health jurisdictions electronically via the Internet, to function as an active alert disease detection surveillance system. Data will be used to assist in the evaluation and identification of gaps in the overseas medical screening programs that need to be remedied to improve national health security by reducing and eliminating the importation of infectious diseases.