I’ve been traveling a lot lately. Arkansas. Texas. Washington. Hawaii. Utah. Even though my destinations have all been in the U.S., each place has been different. Foreign. Even a little unsettling at times. But at least I speak the language and understand basic American culture, despite the regional differences. Wherever I went, I could manage.

        Contrast my out-of-comfort-zone adventures with the holy-cow-what-have-I-gotten-myself-into experiences of the many refugees who now call Idaho home. Combine adjusting to a new culture with learning a new language and figuring out just exactly what a Rocky Mountain oyster is. Oh yeah, and do all of that while you’re pregnant. Even without the Rocky Mountain oyster thing, it’s a daunting proposition.

        The CARE (Culturally Appropriate Resources and Education) Maternal/Child Health Clinic at Saint Alphonsus hospital was developed to help smooth out some of the speed bumps for expectant refugee women relocating to southwest Idaho. CARE provides specialized healthcare and outreach to address the unique concerns of these mothers and their families. Refugees often arrive in Idaho with limited English proficiency, little understanding of Western medicine, and a great deal of fear and mistrust. Many come from troubled regions around the world and have witnessed or been subject to horrific acts of violence or warfare.

        CARE is made up of a group of compassionate healthcare professionals who work with leaders within local refugee communities to build trust with refugee families and provide those families with increased access to maternal/child health and pediatric services. The result of this relationship has proven to be healthier pregnancy outcomes among refugee women and improved health among their babies.

        CARE offers a wide range of services, including specialized prenatal care, language interpretation, health advising provided by a peer liaison from the patient’s own culture of origin, and pediatric care and immunization services for infants through 18 months of age.

        If you would like to help ease the transition to America and motherhood for the patients CARE serves, you can make cash donations through the CARE clinic’s website, saintalphonsus.org/svc-CareClinic.html. You can also donate any of the following items from the CARE wishlist:

•  Disposable diapers
•  Baby wipes
•  Baby blankets
•  Gently-used baby items (clothing up to 24 months, baby shoes, cribs, strollers, high chairs, etc.)
•  NOTE: Used car seats CAN NOT be accepted

        For more information on the CARE Maternal/Child Health Clinic, visit www.saintalphonsus.org/svc-CareClinic.html or call 367-7380.

Donna Bankhead is a contributing writer from Boise.