Give Now
Dubuque Marshallese Health Fund
At a Glance
- Providing health services for Dubuque Marshallese
- Fundraising to meet a $1 million goal
About Us
The Dubuque Marshallese Health fund was launched by Dr. Mark Janes, a local pulmonologist concerned about patients in the Marshallese community. Members of the Marshallese community in Dubuque are reporting a significant toll among their people and barriers to traditional services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Marshallese people have been heavily impacted by COVID-19, experiencing multiple illnesses and even deaths in their community. A study of 100 Pacific Islanders conducted by Crescent Community Health Center showed that 79% have diabetes and 93% have hypertension both conditions that make a person vulnerable to intense COVID-19 or even death, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many are unable to access vital medical care due to ineligibility for Medicaid. I've been taking care of some of these people for 25 years, said Janes. I always wondered why so many don't have insurance. Learning of their ineligibility spurred him to spread the word and embark on a $1 million fundraising campaign to assist the Marshallese community with the impacts of the pandemic.
Mission
On a mission to raise $1 million to provide health services for the Marshallese community in Dubuque, which has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Basic Information
Phone
563.588.2700Address
700 Locust St. Ste. 195 Dubuque, IA 52052Success Story
Irene Maun Sigrah is a prominent member of the Marshallese community in Dubuque and community health care worker at the Pacific Islander Health Project at Crescent Community Health Center. For weeks, she sheltered at home with COVID-19. Her husband and two sons also became infected. The family is now recovered, but since the pandemic began, three members of their community have died. There are more in the hospitals. The ICUs are full of us," Sigrah says. Several generations of a Marshallese family may live together for cultural and financial reasons. Under one roof, there's a lot of people, she says. It's hard to change that. And when you have grandmother, son, grandchild all living there, with one kitchen, maybe one bathroom, how do you quarantine? It's hard. Despite being ill with the virus herself, Sigrah has spent much of her own quarantine fielding phone calls from her neighbors and family, directing them to resources or calling herself, as a translator for those who do not speak English. Stories like Sigrah's inspired the launch of the Dubuque Marshallese Health Fund to provide health services for this community. You can help by making a gift today.
Fund Details
Fund Name
Dubuque Marshallese Health Fund
Year Founded
2020
Type of Fund
Learn More about fund types
Support This Fund
Dubuque Marshallese Health Fund