Community Intervention for Syrian Refugees in Baltimore City: The Lay Health Educator Program at a Local Mosque.

This study focused on a partnership with a mosque in Baltimore, MD, and its impact on the local Syrian refugee population through a peer-to-peer healthcare training program. We implemented the Lay Health Educator Program over a 6-week period in an effort to teach members of the mosque about healthcare-related topics that they could then disseminate to the Syrian refugee population that attends the mosque. Physicians and nurses instructed community members on health, healthcare resources, and healthcare information during 2-h long sessions once a week. A total of 18 community members took part in the program, and their participation highlighted that the most significant health issues for the Syrian refugees are "access to healthcare," "mental health," and insight into certain noncommunicable disease. Finally, the community program graduates implemented several health-related campaigns over 2 years in an effort to disseminate information taught to them. In doing so, they significantly impacted the ability of the refugees to assimilate to the US healthcare system.

A Brief Historical Review of Specific Religious Denominations: How History Influences Current Medical-Religious Partnerships.

Improving health care in the twenty-first century will require new and creative approaches, with special attention given to health literacy and patient engagement since these two variables play a significant role in chronic health issues and their management. In order to better improve these key variables, strong partnerships between patients, their communities, and medical institutions must be developed. One way of facilitating these relationships is through medical-religious partnerships. Religious leaders are in regular contact with people who need education about and support with health issues. However, identifying the most effective way to approach specific congregations can pose a challenge to healthcare providers and institutions. In this paper, we provide a brief historical review of certain religious traditions and how their history plays a role in current medical-religious partnerships.