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Providing culturally sensitive services to protect the public's health in Florida
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Florida Refugee Health Program

Mission: Promote, protect, and improve the health of all people in Florida.

Vision: A healthier future for the people of Florida.

The goal of the Refugee Health Program (RHP) is to be a leader in providing culturally sensitive health services to persons who have fled their home country due to persecution (political, religious, or economic) in search for a better life and self-sufficiency in America. The RHP reviews overseas medical examination records and provides domestic health screenings and immunizations to refugees to enhance personal health status and protect Florida’s public health. The RHP provides these services through funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Florida Department of Children and Families, Refugee Services.

Florida is a national leader in refugee resettlement, receiving the largest volume of participants in the United States’ Refugee Resettlement Program. The state received a three-year total (2006-2008) of 70,627 participants, while California received 29,242, Texas received 13,949, New York received 13,068 and Minnesota received 10,970.  In spite of Florida’s large volume of refugees, the RHP has achieved a completion rate of over 92% for refugee domestic health assessments.

The RHP serves the following groups of individuals:  refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian asylum applicants, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Amerasians, Iraqi/Afghan special immigrants, and certain victims of severe forms of human trafficking.

The majority of participants who currently resettle in Florida originate from Cuba, Haiti, or Burma.  Most of Florida’s new arrivals are Cuban entrants, although the state is experiencing a greater influx of refugees and special immigrants, particularly from Bhutan and Iraq.  Of the 67 counties in Florida, 33 receive refugees on a regular basis. Geographically, new arrivals tend to resettle more frequently in one of eight Florida counties:  Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Duval, Palm Beach, Broward, Orange, Collier, or Lee.

To contact the RHP in your area, view our RHP contact listing (pdf 89.0 kb).

Refugee Health Guidelines & Forms

(Coming Soon)

Refugee Data

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Photos

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