{"id":10054,"date":"2016-12-21T10:06:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/in-texas-students-help-provide-health-care-for-refugees\/"},"modified":"2016-12-21T10:06:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:06:00","slug":"in-texas-students-help-provide-health-care-for-refugees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/in-texas-students-help-provide-health-care-for-refugees\/","title":{"rendered":"In Texas, Students Help Provide Health Care For Refugees"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Wendy Rigby<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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Third-year dental student Alex Dolbik checks the oral health of a patient at the Refugee Health Clinic in San Antonio. Wendy Rigby\/Texas Public Radio<\/strong> hide caption<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Wendy Rigby\/Texas Public Radio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Each Wednesday at St. Francis Episcopal Church<\/a> on the north side of San Antonio, dozens of refugees from all over the world come for free care at the Refugee Health Clinic.<\/p>\n

Students and faculty at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio<\/a> have teamed up to operate one of the only student-run refugee clinics in the country.<\/p>\n

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Layla Mohsin, a teacher from Iraq, and her son Karrar Al Gburi are clients of the Refugee Health Clinic. Wendy Rigby\/Texas Public Radio<\/strong> hide caption<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Wendy Rigby\/Texas Public Radio<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In the past six years, more refugees have resettled in Texas than in any other state. That was before the state of Texas pulled out of the refugee resettlement program<\/a> in September, citing concerns over terrorism.<\/p>\n

The refugees who come seeking care are from the Middle East, southern Africa and Asia. They have fled violence and persecution. An estimated 5,000 refugees live within 3 miles of San Antonio’s medical center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most who have resettled here receive temporary federal government health benefits that run out after six months or so.<\/p>\n

“We really fill that gap before they can kind of get on their feet after they’ve lost their government benefits,” says Michael Tcheyan, a medical student who volunteers at the clinic. “We feel like it’s our duty, and it’s their right to get medical care and to be connected with services that are going to make their life better.”<\/p>\n

Medical students from the Student Faculty Collaborative Practice of UT Health San Antonio help provide care along with students from the School of Nursing<\/a>, the School of Dentistry<\/a> and the School of Allied Health Professions<\/a>, which includes physician assistants, physical therapy and respiratory care.<\/p>\n

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