Catholic Charities
Danielle Rodriguez
December 29, 2022
Catholic Charities Maine appoints new state refugee health coordinator
Catholic Charities Maine's office of Maine refugee services has appointed a new refugee health coordinator.
Danielle Rodriguez has more than a decade of experience working in refugee health, including labor delivery monitoring and maternal health in Eastleigh and Nairobi, Kenya.
She worked with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services Refugee Health Program, where she was the refugee health contracts coordinator, refugee health promotion coordinator, and COVID-19 refugee response program lead.
While with the Refugee Services Office of Utah, Rodriguez researched "social determinants of health," defined as safe housing, transportation, racism, discrimination, access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities, and polluted air and water.
"There is not just one or two refugee health promotion or wellness initiatives that are evidence-based and community-led, there are several," said Rodriguez. "I spent much of my last year in refugee work in Utah bearing witness to the capacity of ... community health representatives and community health workers to break down hesitancy toward accessing care due to insurance or financial reasons, cultural or linguistic differences, and adverse experiences with systems of care.
"The community and the clinical system here in Maine seem much more partnered," Rodriguez added. "I'm so eager to learn and explore from the many community members and colleagues I will meet."
Rodriquez earned a master's in engineering sciences, information, and communication technology for development from the University of Colorado in Boulder, with a focus on public health and sustainable development goals. She received a postgraduate master's certificate in global mental health, refugee trauma, and torture recovery from Harvard University School of Medicine.
In addition to her public health work, Rodriguez spent several years teaching journalism at Utah Valley University and co-chaired the university's refugee initiative to bring scholarship, faculty mentorship and academic support to refugee students.
Since 1966, Catholic Charities Maine has been committed to helping children and adults overcome adversity and achieve self-sufficiency and provides social services to people of all faiths, beliefs and economic backgrounds. It is one of the largest human service agencies in the state.
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