Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health IRMHC Recap

Minnesota Department of Health sent this bulletin at 07/16/2026 03:30 PM CDT
Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health Minnesota

Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health

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July 2026

The Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health (MN COE) is dedicated to developing resources to support healthcare providers, public health professionals, and resettlement partners in their efforts to better serve refugee and other newcomer families. We build on existing infrastructure and partners’ extensive experience to identify and monitor newcomer health issues and needs, contribute to evidence-based policies and guidance, and ultimately improve continuity of care and health outcomes for newcomers.

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact us at MNCOENewcomerHealth@state.mn.us. 

In this issue:

International Refugee and Migration Health Conference (IRMHC) Recap

Thank you to everyone who engaged with us at IRMHC 2026 by visiting our booth, attending our sessions, and saying hi!

We wanted to send you a special issue of our MN COE newsletter to promote the ongoing surveys and highlight select resources that were presented at the conference.

We are extending the deadline for our 2 surveys!

1. Inform pediatric developmental screening clinical practices

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our survey! So far, we’ve heard from professionals in the highlighted states. We’d like to hear from all 50 states by Aug. 21! 

Map of states represented by survey respondents: MN, PA, CO, TX, WA, VA, NC, MI, LA, KY, NJ, CT, VT, NH

If you participate in pediatric developmental screening, please take the survey: Pediatric Developmental Screening Clinical Practices.

Please continue to share amongst your colleagues who provide well-child checks and standard physical exams for children.

Questions can be directed to MNCOENewcomerHealth@state.mn.us.

2. Shape resources for those serving newcomer communities

Are you a healthcare provider, a professional at a health department, or part of an organization serving refugees in the U.S.? The Migration Health Initiative (MHI), in partnership with the Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health, is gathering perspectives on newcomer health needs, access to care, and data privacy. Your responses will help shape guidance, training, and resources for the field. The survey is anonymous and takes about five minutes.

We are extending the deadline to Aug. 21!
MHI + MN COE Survey

Participants are also being recruited for a series of virtual focus group discussions this summer to explore these topics in greater depth. Anyone open to sharing their experience in a small group conversation can sign up via the Newcomer Health Focus Group Discussions: Interest Form. 

Please share with colleagues who serve newcomer communities.

Newcomer Health Orientation and Education

Newcomer Education for Wellness (NEW) Videos are translated health education videos for newcomers. Topics include dental care, domestic medical exam, healthcare services, healthy eating, interpretation services, latent tuberculosis, stress management, and vision health. The videos are available in Arabic, Burmese, Dari, English, French, Haitian Creole, Karen, Pashto, Somali, Spanish, and Swahili.

Domestic Medical Exam and LTBI video thumbnails in english and other langauges

In case you missed it…

The CDC’s Domestic Team issued updated guidance on the U.S.-bound South African newcomers: CDC Dear Partner Letter: Health Screening of Afrikaners (PDF).

Did you know? All CDC alerts for U.S.-bound refugees can be found in a banner at the top of every CareRef search, filtered by country of departure.

CareRef screenshot of new CDC Health Alerts for U.S.-Bound Refugees section

Poster Sessions

The MN COE, along with its partners, presented various quality improvement and epidemiological evaluations. We’re highlighting a couple of posters that may be of interest. Do reach out if you have any questions about our various projects!

Characteristics of newcomers diagnosed with varicella or pertussis, 2020-2025 (PDF)

Characteristics of newcomers diagnosed with varicella or pertussis, 2020-2025 IRMHC poster


Perinatal risk factors and outcomes of newly arrived refugees in Minnesota, 2012-2023 (PDF)

Perinatal risk factors and outcomes of newly arrived refugees in Minnesota, 2012-2023

Contact

Please sign up now if you are not already subscribed to Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health Updates and wish to receive future updates.

For more information or questions, please contact the Minnesota Department of Health Refugee Health Program at MNCOENewcomerHealth@state.mn.us or 651-201-5414.

The Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health is supported by NU50CK000563 (MN) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.