337 Culturally responsive care: academic and community partnerships for immigrant health

Abstract EP3.2, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 3, 2025, 13:05 - 14:00 Background Immigrants in Philadelphia, PA (US) contribute positively to its vibrant cultural and economic landscape. A recent analysis demonstrated areas with distinctly high versus low social progress (i.e., basic needs, well-being, opportunities), underscoring a geographic social disparity. North Philadelphia is home to 12% of foreign-born individuals; Multiple socio-economic and cultural barriers influence this disparity. Effective engagement strategies with immigrant populations within an academic healthcare system are warranted. Methods A community-engaged approach with community-based organizations (CBOs) to advance our knowledge of health care services for immigrants was utilized. Informed by a directory of immigrant-serving organizations across Philadelphia, organizations were invited to Meet-and-Greet conversations. A semi-structured questionnaire guided baseline assessment of: (1) services provided and populations served; (2) challenges and gaps; (3) opportunities for collaboration. A thematic analysis of conversation notes underscored gaps in access to health/social services, and opportunities for academia-community collaborations. Results Fifty-four immigrant-serving organizations were identified, and Meet-and-Greet conversations were completed with 14 (26%). Of those engaged: 9/14 (64.3%) were CBOs; 3/14 (21.4%) academic partners; and 2/14 (14.3%) government agencies. Themes on access barriers and knowledge gaps of health/social services included: medical-legal knowledge, language interpretation, navigation of services, and immigrant eligibility for public programs. Conclusions A community-engaged and -informed approach to building ground-level knowledge and establishing partnerships with CBOs leads to meaningful and actionable programming to improve immigrant-centered health/social care access. Informed by these themes and in collaboration with a community-partner champion, we will co-create an inclusive immigrant health training series to healthcare providers to address identified gaps.