Immigrant Access to Health Care

Much of my work explores the moral and practical reasons that govern the provision of publicly funded health care to undocumented immigrants. This often involves examining legislative histories and public comments on federal regulations to identify the reasons policymakers and the public find persuasive. In addition to work around “reasons,” I also work on maternal health and reproductive justice issues related to non-citizens, particularly for undocumented and detained migrants. I am particularly interested in the relationship between policies that (in theory) provide coverage for pregnancy care to non-citizens and the actual access pregnant migrants have to adequate care in the context of increased immigration enforcement and the “chilling effect.”

Refugee Resettlement

Syracuse, NY is home to a robust and growing refugee population. Current research explores the health-seeking behaviors and attitudes of Syracuse-based refugees in the context of COVID-19. Previous work explored the moral and practical reasons involved in determining the refugee admission ceiling.

Ethics & Education

In my role as Vice Chair for Education at SUNY Upstate’s Center for Bioethics and Humanities, I am interested in improving undergraduate and graduate medical education related to medical ethics. Relevant projects include collaborations around teaching the social determinants of health and cultural humility at the bedside, as well as an ethics education needs assessment of residents and fellows at Upstate University Hospital. I’ve also worked on improving medical education for students with DACA or other undocumented immigration statuses.