Meet the new nonprofit using empathy as medicine

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: A Sioux Falls-based nonprofit is looking to create more empathy in the healthcare system by better understanding the experiences of immigrants and refugees.

Why it matters

  • The Community Wellness Exploration Board (CWEB) is a group led by immigrants and refugees with lived experiences. Co-Founder Kuol Malou learned first-hand the challenges of advocating for himself in healthcare when he experienced a pulmonary embolism a few years ago that nearly took his life.
  • CWEB will create a network of partners including researchers, service providers, representatives in the healthcare industry and, of course, immigrants and refugees themselves.
  • The hope is to both better understand the gaps in existing systems that leave immigrants and refugees experiencing negative health outcomes and take steps to bridge those gaps.
"How do medical providers use empathy to connect with their patients to create a way for them to advocate for what they really are there for?" Malou said.

Tell me more

Malou said he was inspired to start CWEB after seeing the lack of information available to immigrants and refugees who were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We could've prevented the spread if information was available," Malou said.

CWEB's focus to start will be largely on research, and the organization aims to partner with other nonprofits and service agencies who are already working to help immigrants and refugees to collect data.

With a better understanding of what these people actually need, the next step would be to start taking action and advocating.

  • It could be as simple as making more healthcare materials available in other languages, to start, Malou noted.
  • It's also important to increase the cultural competency of providers so they can build trust with patients of all backgrounds.
"You need to know people as people first to understand how you can help them," Malou said. "Then that also leads to better practices and engagement with the diagnoses. If you build trust, you're most likely to take your medicine."

There's also a hope that by focusing on building trust around preventative practices, providers and others in the CWEB network can help improve the overall wellness of immigrants and refugees.

How can I support this work?

You can follow CWEB on Facebook for updates on the organization.

  • You can also reach out to Malou through that page to become a part of CWEB's network.