Healthy Family, Healthy Life
When a refugee family arrives in Gainesville, one of the very first priorities is ensuring their health and safety. Each family member sits with a GGIC staff member to carefully review pre-arrival health records, overseas medical screenings, and vaccination documentation. From there, GGIC and the family determine any critical or emergency healthcare needs, including any disabilities to be addressed upon arrival.
Within one week of arrival, GGIC schedules each family member for an initial domestic health screening through approved providers such as the Alachua County Health Department or local refugee health clinics. These comprehensive exams help identify urgent health needs, connect families to primary care, and begin the process of establishing a medical home. GGIC also assists with scheduling required vaccinations and school physicals for children, helping families stay compliant with Florida’s school enrollment laws.
GGIC nos llevó a citas medicas y nos gestionó el acceso a nuestro primer seguro de salud, con el cual pudimos hacernos chequeos medicos y tener acceso a programas de vacunación.
GGIC brought us to medical appointments and [helped] arranged access to our first health insurance, with which we could complete our medical check-ups and obtain access to vaccine programs.
Navigating the Healthcare System
For families new to the country, understanding how and when to seek medical help can be confusing and overwhelming. A large part of cultural orientation helps refugees to understand their new American insurance coverage (with all the unique vocabulary that goes along with it)—what’s covered by their initial Medicaid policies, how to use their cards, and where to go for different kinds of care.
Oftentimes, just the process of securing a Primary Care Physician (PCP) for each household member can take days. Families consider the difference between routine illnesses and true emergencies in the US context so that they know when to go to urgent care or the emergency room. GGIC also helps families locate nearby pharmacies, review medication instructions, and discuss over-the-counter options for common ailments.
El sistema de salud que me ha tocado en urgencias es muy complicado, se tiene que tener mucho tiempo disponible y paciencia para esperar la atención.
The health care system (that I have been dealing with via the emergency room) is very complicated. One has to have a lot of available time and patience to wait for care.
Mr. Ho travels 