"Under a big tent in the parking lot of a busy strip mall in St. Cloud, nurses in black scrubs are strapping on blood pressure cuffs and pricking fingers. It's been one year since Hayat Clinic opened, and staff are celebrating by offering free blood pressure and glucose checks. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken). MAROHN: The clinic's founder, Dr. Bashir Moallin, chats in Somali with a smiling man who just got an all clear on a prediabetes test."
"Hayat Clinic is open to all patients but serves mainly members of the city's East African community. Hayat is an Arabic word meaning life. St. Cloud's Somali American population has grown significantly since the first refugees settled here more than two decades ago. Roughly 6% of the city's residents claim Somali heritage. Moallin - his patients call him Dr. Bashir - grew up in Somalia."
Hayat Clinic serves primarily East African immigrants in St. Cloud, with a significant Somali American population. The clinic opened a year ago and offers weekend hours to accommodate patients who work weekdays. Staff provide screenings such as blood pressure and glucose checks and run community outreach events. Up to 20% of patients have no health insurance and most others rely on Medicaid. Dr. Bashir Moallin communicates in Somali and focuses on reducing barriers to care, addressing financial constraints, scheduling challenges, and rising vaccine skepticism by countering misinformation within the community.
Read at www.npr.org
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