My collection focuses on how immigrants, specifically illegal immigrants, are able to access healthcare while in the United States. As I work in an ED, and because I am going into healthcare, I wanted to see how immigrant's lives were impacted if they were illegal and still needed to access healthcare, whether it be a check-up or an emergent situation. All of the articles I read show different solutions as to how help is being implemented for these illegal immigrants, in hopes that accessing healthcare in the United States will come with ease over time, especially with the solutions discussed in the articles below.

The first article I found was from a radio broadcast on BBC, discussing a free healthcare clinic for unauthorized immigrants in LA. With this, unauthorized immigrants are able to get their basic needs met, including help and classes for people with diabetes. Clinics like this are beneficial because immigrants do not need to worry about being "caught" unauthorized, and are able to get their basic healthcare needs and information met. However, the radio show discussed that healthcare should for unauthorized immigrants should go beyond basic needs, so immigrants feel supported in all aspects of their health, which I agree with. Getting basic needs met is a good starting block, but healthcare needs to be further expanded and given to unauthorized immigrants. 

The next article I read discussed how unauthorized immigrants, and in this instance, immigrants with end-stage renal disease, wait until the last minute to get emergent dialysis instead of having their needs met in an earlier stage (more preventative care). Undocumented immigrants would wait to go to the ED (which is costly and a lot less healthy) to receive emergent dialysis, instead of doing a normal three times a week dialysis appointments, because they were scared to receive care in fear of not being able to receive "normalized" care. Due to their undocumented status, they are also not able to apply for Medicaid. However, in Colorado, they set forth a law that allows immigrants to receive scheduled dialysis because it is an "emergent" situation, and without it, it could lead to organ failure and sepsis. Not only is this law allowing immigrants to get preventative care (which honestly, is the most important care), but it is saving Colorado thousands of dollars in the process. I think that again, this is a great stepping stool, and will hopefully allow other illnesses and preventative measures to be looked at more closely, for new laws and new hope for immigrant healthcare. 

Finally, the last article I looked at discussed clinics called "Health Windows" to help immigrants receive preventative healthcare while in the United States. Here, they can get things like their blood pressure, glucose, and body mass index checked in hopes that this will allow immigrants to further their preventative care if something would be off. If not, this is a way for immigrants to stay on top of the basics of their health. Immigration can be scary for many immigrants, so to be able to go to a clinic to check that their numbers are okay is something that is very important to them. Again, although preventative health is very important and this clinic is taking a step in the right direction, more help should hopefully be available in the future. For instance, if we were able to provide ECGs and blood work to further test the immigrants, it would probably make them feel a lot better. 

After reading these articles, it makes me hopeful that we are going in the right direction when it comes to giving immigrants, especially unauthorized, the healthcare that they need. For many, they are not able to apply for government help, so finding healthcare can be something that is very stressful, especially in an emergent situation. If we give immigrants a service that they are comfortable using, it would greatly benefit the relationship, as well as their want to do preventative care. If we are able to give them healthcare, I think they would feel a lot more welcomed when coming to the United States because they are getting some of their most basic needs met.  Something I think that should be considered as one of these needs that my articles did not discuss is to ensure that immigrants are able to find proper mental health care as well as "normal" healthcare, to ensure we are covering every base. I am hopeful that that these solutions will be even further expanded on in the years to come.