Category: Events

Immigrant’s Guide to the U.S. Healthcare System

Immigrants new to the U.S. face a ton of issues. Some of us are lucky enough to
receive help with those issues. For my part, I’m hoping to help you with the medical side
specifically. Today, I want to talk about the American healthcare system, which includes
nurses, psychologists etc. The main difference between Haiti and the U.S. is the U.S.
healthcare system and how it’s organized based on need. It can be confusing at first, so I want
to guide you through that today.
The healthcare system in the U.S. is split up into categories, the first category being the
emergency rooms. Some people think that going to the emergency room will get them access
to care quicker, but that is not the case. Emergency rooms are specifically for people who
have life-threatening injuries or are dealing with severe trauma. These people need to be
cared for immediately, or they may die.
Second, we have Urgent Care rooms designed for people with urgent health care issues who
cannot access their primary care physicians for whatever reason. It’s important to remember
that the physicians or providers in an Urgent Care Room are not necessarily equipped to
address all sorts of illnesses.
Now, the third, we have what we call a Healthcare Centre, a place where several specialists
and providers are present to provide healthcare to patients. In this group, you’ll find doctors
such as internal medicine doctors, nurse practitioners, specialists, and physician assistants.
You’ll also find dentists in a center such as Cambridge Health Alliance, as oral health is very
important.
When you first call, the front desk receptionist will answer your call and schedule an
appointment for you, but if your healthcare issue is too complicated, they’ll transfer you to
the nurse, who will then decide whether or not you need to be sent to the emergency room.
Otherwise, if your issue needs immediate care but doesn’t require a trip to the emergency
room, they’ll see who is available and schedule you an appointment as soon as possible. You
also have the option to call your primary care provider’s clinic even after hours in case of an
urgent healthcare issue.
I want to remind everybody of the importance of being on time at your medical appointments
because, once again, the healthcare system in the United States is very different from Haiti. If
you are late for your appointment in Haiti, the doctor will still see you. But in the United
States, you must reschedule your appointment if you are more than 15 minutes late.
When you arrive at the healthcare center, you will first be greeted by the front desk
receptionist; after being checked in, you will be seen by the physician assistant, who will ask
you several questions. At that point, they may also check your blood sugar and vitals,
depending on your issue. It may sound like a lot, but this is how it works to be efficient.
When you speak to your provider, they’ll ask you what the purpose of your visit is, among
other things, to get a clearer picture of your health and the issue at hand. In Haiti, we don’t

have primary care providers so it’s understandably confusing to some Haitian patients who
are used to a family medicine doctor doing something like a pap smear, but be assured, these
doctors are trained and will refer you to a specialist if your health issue requires them to do
so.
Often on the first visit, providers will do what is called an intake. This involves a lot of
questions, often very personal, that the provider needs to ask to get a full picture of your
health status. It may feel like the provider is being intrusive, but this is for your benefit. Of
course, everything said between you and your provider is confidential. All providers have to
sign a HIPAA, which is a confidentiality agreement ensuring the provider may not share any
of the patient’s information without their consent. Violating this agreement can lead to the
provider being sued and facing legal issues.
And furthermore, the intakes I mentioned before can be quite extensive. They’ll ask about
your family history, what sort of illness runs in your family, whether you smoke, drink, etc.
Depending on the intake, the questions may differ. Understand once again, this is not the
providers trying to be intrusive. This is necessary information to provide the best care
possible.
Now, depending on your issue, your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist,
and I may also insist you return after that visit with the specialist. It may be necessary for
your primary care provider to discuss the specialist’s diagnosis with you in greater detail or to
explain anything unclear to the patient.
During your visit, your provider may also offer vaccines to you, which are especially
important for people who are going to start a new job or a new school. A couple of examples
are the hepatitis B vaccine, the Covid vaccine, the influenza vaccine, and the Tetanus
vaccine. Another very important vaccine is the HPV vaccine, which is vital for us because in
Haiti, this vaccine isn’t available, and many patients have cervical cancer.
During your visit, a physical exam may include a pelvic exam and pap smear to look for the
HPV virus in female patients. A pap smear is a screening test, and during your visit, you may
need to do a couple of different screening tests depending on your age. These include a TB
test, an HIV test, or a Hepatitis test. These are important to screen for because the earlier
they’re screened for, the better the chances they can be cared for effectively.

Faculty of Nursing Sciences UNDH (P-AU-P)  

On behalf of the entire team of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences of the University Notre Dame Haiti, I thank the entire UDH Health Coach Team and can’t emphasize enough how important this was for our Nurse Teachers.

Thank you Mr. Alix Siméon for this training which the UNDH nurses have benefited from thanks to your determination. Today is a day of joy and appreciation for all the efforts made to complete this training.

Congratulations to all those who participated in this program and more specifically to the three UNDH nurses who passed all the modules. My dear colleagues today you are rightly savoring your hour of glory because you have prepared and worked for it. Congratulations!

As a Nurse Educator and Dean of a Faculty, I can tell you that at a certain point in your career, passing on your knowledge becomes second nature for some health professionals. One then becomes useful as a trainer to other health professionals. This is the case for nurses who teach. Indeed, transmitting one’s knowledge requires specific skills, mainly in terms of pedagogy. It is undeniable that the trainer must have a certain appetite for teaching in order to be successful. It’s also important that they have several years of experience in different fields to have a solid knowledge of the profession and its nuances. Hence the importance of this training organized by UDHHC. They offered participants the opportunity to reflect on their own practices in order to assert themselves in their role as a referent, whether in front of their colleagues or students. Clearer with the pedagogical foundations useful for supporting students, the practitioner trainer brings real added value to develop his entire team towards meaningful support practices. Knowing that currently in our various training institutions:

• On the one hand, there is a severe lack of continuing education for executives working in the field of health.
• On the other hand, the digital space represents a significant asset for training; however, its lack of human interaction is a weakness, making it less attractive for teachers and students.

So, I can say that this training makes it possible to underline two essential elements in the future of the profession and the training of nurses. One, being the necessary implication in the research of the profession and, the other being a reconsideration regarding the role of the trainer as orienting more towards a posture of accompaniment.

All our gratitude to UDHHC for having put a mixed team of recognized trainers to help in the training of nurses.

Thanks!

Esther JOSEPH MSN, RN Dean Faculty of Nursing Sciences / UNDH