Nahed Chapman

New American Academy

NCNAA clinic was started in 2010 in partnership between IFM Community Medicine and Saint Louis Public Schools operating on Wednesday morning and afternoon. This school prepares incoming immigrant and refugee children for a new life in St. Louis by teaching them English while keeping them on curriculum with their fellow American students at other schools. The approximately 250 students speak as many as 54 different languages from 42 different countries. The clinic provides physicals, immunizations, and acute care at no expense to the families. The vaccine program is particularly important as many of the students are either unvaccinated or have no proof of vaccination from their native country. The school health element is also important because of the families’ barriers to healthcare from lack of access to insurance, lack of transportation, and fear of government institutions.