Best Practices for the Care of Newly Arrived Immigrant Children

Saturday, April 26, 2025

7:00am – 8:30am HST

Location: Convention Center: 303

CE: 1.5

Leader(s)

Natalia Sidhu, MD, MS (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, United States

Co-Leader(s)

Aura Lamas, MD

Assistant Professor
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
El Paso, Texas, United States
Karla Fredricks, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor
Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, United States

Disclosure(s):

Natalia I. Sidhu, MD, MS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Aura N. Lamas, MD: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Karla Fredricks, MD, MPH: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Workshop Description: Since 2022, a record-number of immigrants including refugees and asylum seekers have entered the United States. Of this newly immigrated population, close to an estimated 50% are children. These children experience unique obstacles in accessing care and resources based on their immigration status, caregiver's health literacy, and preferred language. While several of these patients are assessed at federal shelters and border facilities, a growing population is seen for healthcare needs in inpatient and outpatient settings across the country. As pediatricians, an increasing number of us have cared for the physical and emotional trauma experienced by our patients, often acting as a first point of medical contact for their acute needs, later faced with challenges in assessing past medical histories and securing vital medications, equipment, and safe discharge plans for our patients. With this historical context and the continued displacement of children worldwide, it is prudent and timely to provide our colleagues with a comprehensive approach to navigate the complex provision of medicine to these children. Using AAP and CDC recommendations, evidence-based strategies, and our own, often daily, experiences, participants will leave having used cases to discuss and reflect on strategies to take back to their home institutions to increase cultural humility, effectiveness, and comfort with the care of newly arrived immigrant children.

Learning Objectives:

Outline the distinctions between different immigration statuses of newly arrived immigrant children
Analyze the barriers and unique needs these patients face using case-based scenarios
Develop a plan to improve the healthcare provision for these children in their home institution using workshop learning points