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M Health Fairview and the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) have been partners on multitudes of projects for the past sixteen years. Since KOM was founded in 2008, M Health Fairview as well as HealthEast and Fairview before their 2017 merger, have consistently been a source of aid for the Karen community.
Pictured above: Dr. Katie Freeman speaking at the 2024 Annual KOM Gala.
Projects that M Health Fairview has worked on in tandem with KOM include health education workshops, Covid-19 Outreach programs and vaccination clinics. Along with this, M Health Fairview has supported the Karen community by hiring Karen staff at multiple locations. This has helped many Karen people, especially new arrivals, as they are able to talk to someone in their native language and feel connected to members of their own community.
Hearing from Our Partners
M Health Fairview was KOM’s 2024 Annual Gala Platinum Sponsor. Dr. Katie Freeman, a family physician at Bethesda Clinic, spoke at the Gala, giving a glimpse of the understanding and empathy that M Health Fairview holds for community health:
“Often a significant barrier to wellness is knowledge of how to navigate the complicated medical and social services systems, as well as programs that align with a patient’s cultural background and language needs. The Karen Organization of Minnesota understands and supports its clients as they adapt to life in Minnesota in a holistic way that promotes health. Their partnership with M Health Fairview, and ability to match health needs with the needs of the community create so many opportunities to support our patients and healthcare providers.”
Christina McCoy, Manager of Community Health Equity Initiatives, added, “KOM has its finger on the pulse of the community’s needs and challenges. They have a deep understanding of the pressures facing our youth and their families, from building and preserving good mental health to addressing the impact of substance abuse, to working to make sure everyone in our community has what they need to not only survive, but to thrive.”
Support Across Many Programs
KOM’s postpartum education and home visiting program, in partnership with Wellshare International, gets referrals from M Health Fairview clinics. Support is given to mothers adjusting to life with a newborn baby including help with: postpartum depression, breastfeeding, caring for a new baby, and planning for family growth. KOM connects patients to M Health Fairview’s primary clinics where they receive support and increase education during this time in their lives.
Other influential programs M Health Fairview has provided its support to are KOM’s chemical dependency and substance use programs. In 2021, KOM expanded these programs to include case management and school based support for teens and youth (read KOM’s last feature story on Preventing Youth Substance Use in the Karen Community). These programs teach the effects of substance use on the brain and body, how drug use can be detected in adolescents, and overdose education. The Youth Chemical Dependency Program often offers referrals to health care providers at M Health Fairview’s Masonic Children’s hospital, Fairview Adolescent Treatment center, and St. Paul Children’s hospital.
M Health Fairview supports KOM’s work with professional medical interpreters, which includes the interpreter training program. This has drastically helped to provide high quality health care to Karen communities and improved outcomes for Karen patients and new arrivals across numerous languages.
Lastly, KOM is a founding partner in the East Side Community Health & Wellbeing Partnership, which was initiated by HealthEast in 2015 and is now managed by M Health Fairview. This partnership includes the Culture Broker Program, which embeds M Health Fairview staff in culturally specific organizations like KOM to connect community members with healthcare systems and other basic needs. Last year alone, Culture Brokers at KOM assisted over 1,000 people to access services that improve their wellbeing.
Dr. Katie Freeman closed out her speech at KOM’s 2024 Annual Gala with a meaningful statement showcasing the prosperity of KOM and M Health Fairview’s ongoing partnership:
“KOM continues to grow, adapt and change to the needs of the community and provides a critical resource to keep clients, patients, and community thriving, vibrant, and healthy. I feel so lucky to be able to partner with them. Thank you for your impactful work and amazing partnership.”
