Libertas OB/GYN Resident Publishes Research "Gynecologic Care Utilization in Asylum-Seeking Women in New York City"

Dr. Kelly Bogaert, a former Mt. Sinai OB/GYN resident who performed research in partnership with the Libertas Center to gain insights on Libertas clients, published her paper “Gynecologic Care Utilization in Asylum-Seeking Women in New York City” in the Journal of Migration and Health, Volume 6. The paper can be found here or linked above.

Dr. Bogaert’s paper reviews how female Libertas patients from 2005 to 2020 who received care at Elmhurst Hospital utilized gynecologic care. Dr. Dinali Fernando, the Libertas Executive Director; Dr. Ben McVane, the Libertas Senior Medical Educator; and Dr. Sheela Maru, Elmhurst OB/GYN Physician, are co-authors.

Libertas Clients’ Thoughts on Community and Care at Elmhurst Hospital

Elmhurst Hospital serves nearly 1 million people in one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in the United States.

Started by physicians in the Emergency Department, in 2010 the Libertas Center opened dedicated space in Elmhurst/NYC Health+Hospitals, a major public hospital affiliated with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

We have developed strong partnerships within the hospital and our surrounding community, and, with your support, we have served hundreds of clients. Libertas clients have expressed that we are part of a devoted, caring network providing medical and mental health treatment and the vital support they need.

71% of Libertas clients identify either psychological care or medical care as their primary need, and 75% of them utilize services to meet those needs at Elmhurst and NYC Health+Hospitals, where they feel a true sense of security.

In the heart of one of the most diverse places on earth, Elmhurst shows Libertas clients that care and compassion are truly universal. Together, we play a vital role in the recovery and healing of refugees and asylum seekers, and as World Refugee Day approaches, we are all grateful to celebrate being a part of this community.

The Libertas Center was started by Emergency Department physicians at Elmhurst Hospital, who continue to lead and guide the program.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the community places a thank-you sign outside Elmhurst Hospital, the 'epicenter of the epicenter' of the pandemic.

---

In celebration of World Refugee Day, the Libertas Center is hoping to raise $4,000 for Libertas clients' emergency needs. Thank you for your support!

Celebrating U.S. Citizenship at the Libertas Center

Libertas clients seeking asylum feel absolute joy, freedom, safety and relief when granted asylum, which gives them a host of new opportunities in their lives and puts them on the path to family reunification, permanent residency, and citizenship. Specifically, U.S. citizenship is incredibly meaningful to clients as it gives them a true sense of belonging in the U.S, their new home.

Clients want to take a moment to celebrate these positive moments: “I would very much [like to celebrate my citizenship] when it happens.”

As we transition back to the office in-person, our Clinical Director takes a call to provide legal case management.

Client artwork - we strive to keep our Libertas Office a warm, welcoming environment where clients can feel at home and inspired

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of clients’ identities, including their citizenship. As the world sees millions displaced globally each year, with substantial delays in the processing of refugees and asylum seekers, Libertas clients continue to display extraordinary resilience that deserves recognition.

We look forward to celebrating clients’ identity, strength, and courage with you on World Refugee Day and beyond!

In celebration of World Refugee Day, the Libertas Center is hoping to raise $4,000 for Libertas clients’ emergency needs. Thank you for your support!

Global Displacement: Serving Asylum Seekers

As World Refugee Day 2022 approaches, we reflect on the crisis of global displacement. Today, more than 100 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide. These refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people find themselves in vulnerable situations, without the necessary support.

Clients arrive at Elmhurst Hospital and New York City from across the globe . The yarn above represents their journeys to Libertas, the nail in the center.

When clients arrive at Libertas, 90% are asylum seekers. Forced to flee their homes and lives because of targeted persecution, separated from their families and support systems, and at risk for discrimination, our clients seek safety and refuge here.

A photo taken by Libertas staff at the U.S-Mexico Border Wall - 24% of Libertas clients come across the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Receiving asylum is key to clients’ sense of stability. However, the complex and lengthy asylum process adds years of stress and fear compounding their trauma.

“I always worry about my immigration.”

- Libertas Client

Understandably, Libertas clients still in the asylum seeking process utilize mental health resources at a higher rate and for longer periods of time compared to those who have been granted asylum. Libertas supports clients’ health and well-being through the provision of holistic services including supportive counseling and mental health care. We encourage compassion and understanding as these incredibly resilient individuals navigate multiple challenges on the path to rebuilding their lives.

In celebration of World Refugee Day, the Libertas Center is hoping to raise $4000 for Libertas clients' emergency needs. Thank you for your support!

Dr. Fernando Honored with Dr. Sidney P. Grossman Distinguished Humanitarian Award by the Icahn School at Mount Sinai

Dinali Fernando, M.D., Executive Director of the Libertas Center, has been honored with the Dr. Sidney Grossman Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). Dr. Fernando was honored for her stellar work as a clinician, her outstanding guidance as an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at ISMMS, and her integral role in transforming the Libertas Center from an ad hoc volunteer program to a full-time treatment center over the past decade and a half.

Libertas and our team are so grateful for Dr. Fernando; and we are inspired by her dedication to Libertas, her leadership, her knowledge, and her commitment to all the patients she serves. Congratulations Dinali!