Wausau Family Practice Center Joins in Community Wide Effort to Serve Refugees

The Wausau Family Practice Center joined a community wide effort to welcome 500 Hmong refugees from Wat Tam Krabok, Thailand. Planning for this new population of large, multigenerational families involved elected officials and community specialists in housing, education, employment, medical, faith community, media, law enforcement, public health, benefits, and select care non-profit organizations. These professionals met to establish linkages and determine how the needs of the refugees could be met effectively.

The Marathon County Health Department's role included screening of all refugees for tuberculosis, immunization status, and intestinal parasites. Wausau Family Practice Center and Bridge Community Clinic have performed physical exams and laboratory tests. The clinics have worked closely to provide urgent care and family focused primary care as needed. With the help of an excellent Case Manager, Melee Thao, RN, and a committed patient care staff, over 260 refugees have been seen at the medical facilities. During the next few months, we anticipate additional resettlement to the Wausau Community.