| Abstract | Purpose. The goal of this community assessment is to gather data on maternal assets and needs of refugee women and their families in Tarrant County, Texas, that informants and providers can use to implement care and services that are approachable, acceptable, available, affordable, and appropriate. Levesque's Conceptual Framework of Access to Healthcare is the guide for the assessment. This paper is reporting on the first of three phases of a community health assessment in Tarrant County, Texas, exploring the maternal health needs and assets of refugee women. This phase includes a literature review and data from providers who serve refugees.
Methods. For Phase 1 of the assessment, I identified providers and organizations in Tarrant County who serve refugees. I set up interviews to learn about organizations, the resources they provide, and their perceptions of the assets and needs of refugee women and their families. I used the snowball technique and outreach to access other informants by asking with whom they recommend I speak. Using the notes from the interviews, I synthesized findings for the report.
Results. During the interviews with providers, I explored topics related to access to food, housing, financial resources, transportation, and health care. I learned about the various resources provided to refugees as well as the gaps in resources in Tarrant County.
Next Steps. In Phase 2 of the assessment, I will meet with refugee women in focus groups and interviews to learn about their health assets and needs. In Phase 3, I will host a meeting to report findings to providers and refugee women and receive feedback for the final report. |
