January 17, 2006

Center for International Health at Regions Hospital receives statewide honors for its commitment to community health

St. Paul, Minn., - On Friday, Jan. 13, the Minnesota Hospital Association honored the Center for International Health with a community health commitment award at the hospital association's annual awards banquet. The awards, which recognize hospitals throughout the state, were given to 20 recipients for excellence in key areas in 2005.

Last year the Center for International Health at Regions Hospital, funded by several local foundations, held a series of health screening clinics for new Hmong immigrants arriving in the St. Paul area. Using a train the trainer model, local physicians, nurses and other staff members were taught best practices in new arrival refugee screening, and volunteered at large, family-oriented screening clinics.

The Center for International Health created the Hmong Mass Screening Clinic Project to improve the health and well-being of the Hmong refugees resettling in Ramsey County from the Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp in Thailand, and to help them become well equipped and productive members in American society. Ultimately, 218 Hmong refugees were screened, including 55 percent who were age 15 or younger, and 22 percent who were younger than age five. A total of 41 family units were served. Among the screening clinic project goals was to create a mutually respectful and supportive relationship between the new Hmong arrivals and the health care system. Dissemination of best practices in refugee health care, including common diseases seen in the Hmong, and teaching providers how to properly screen refugees, and use medical interpreters, were other project goals.

The Center for International Health opened its doors in 1980. Today, the center serves patients from more than 30 countries and, in 2005, nearly 20,000 patients were treated.

A number of Twin Cities donor foundations helped make the Hmong Mass Screening Clinic Project possible. These foundations are as follows:

Bush Foundation
Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Deluxe Corporation Foundation
Otto Bremer Foundation
F.R. Bigelow Foundation
The Saint Paul Foundation
Marbrook Foundation
Employees of Regions Hospital



Regions Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and teaching hospital serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Regions is a private hospital providing outstanding care in womens health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners family of care. Additional information is available at regionshospital.com.