Health Care & Immigration

A two-day conference, entitled What is Ailing U.S.? Health Care and Immigration: Access and Barriers, was designed to bring together top administrators, physicians, nurses, community activists, elected officials, and academics in a dialogue about key problems, solutions, and policy regarding health care provision to underserved populations, including immigrants. The conference allowed for:

  • review of obstacles in gaining access to health care;
  • definition of mechanisms and procedures that improve access in cost effective ways;
  • discussion of evidence derived from empirical research regarding effective and failed health are provision; and
  • craft policy implications and recommendations.

The research project that gave rise to this conference was supported by a Senior Investigator Award to CMD Director, Alejandro Portes, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The conference itself has been supported by a generous grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The conference, held on May 14, 2009, was the culmination of a two-year long research project sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and spearheaded by the director of the Princeton Center for Migration and Development, Alejandro Portes. 

Ten of the finest health care providers in the South Florida, San Diego , and Greater Trenton areas were represented in the program. Of special interest to the event was the inclusion of successful initiatives, which may be used as models to extend health care services to underserved populations.

The conference was supported by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation(link is external) and co-sponsored by the University Center for Human Values(link is external), the Program in Latin American Studies(link is external), and the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies(link is external).

View Conference Program (PDF)

Conference Participants Affiliation
Elizabeth Armstrong Princeton University
Margarita Cervantes Rodriguez Visiting Fellow, Princeton University
Jennifer Crutchfield Jewish Renaissance Medical Center
Laura de la Cruz North County Health Services
Patricia Fernandez-Kelly Princeton University
Alan Goldsmith Jewish Renaissance Medical Center
David Hayes-Bautista University of California, Los Angeles
Lisa Konczal Barry University
Donald Light University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Robert Linder Borinquen health Care Center
Marisel Losa Health Council of South Florida
Ed Martinez San Ysidro Health Center
Mariela Perez, MD Open Door Health Center
Jon Perischino, MD Clinicas de Salud Del Pueblo
Alejandro Portes Princeton University
Aruna Rao National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Monica Russo SEIU Healthcare Florida
Christopher Searles, MD University of California, San Diego Medical Center
Anurag Singh South Asian Mental Health Awareness, New Jersey
Paul Starr Princeton University
Leah M. Varga University of Miami
Mario S. Vargas Puerto Rican Action Board
Jill Ward White, R.N., CPHQ Homestead Hospital
David Warner University of Texas, Austin

Informational Links

While many websites provide information about healthcare policy, the following were chosen due to their comprehensive nature and ease of presentation of information.