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A closer look at gaps in the heath care system for 'Dreamers' and concierge medicine

On this episode of "What's Health," host Dr. Joe Sirven highlights medical barriers faced by immigrants in the country without legal status and the urgent need for solutions.

"What's Health Got to Do with It?" is a talk program from WJCT in Jacksonville that examines the intersection of health care and daily life.

On this week’s program, we take a closer look at gaps in the heath care system for "Dreamers."

Karen Fierro Ruiz, federal advocacy and policy manager with the youth-led immgrant advocacy group United We Dream, outlines challenges faced by Dreamers, a name for immigrants without legal status who were brought to United States as children by family.

Fierro Ruiz discusses how immigration status and medical costs create barriers to care, the urgent need for policy changes and steps Dreamers can take to ease the burden of medical debt.

Then, the program turns to concierge medicine, which speeds up access to care and promotes early intervention.

Dr. Surendra Khera, vice chief of the Primary Care Institute for Cleveland Clinic in Florida, shares his role in the development of a concierge access team, how it works and ways in which it differs from traditional primary care access models.

Concierge medicine, like direct primary care, is a model that provides patients with more direct access to their primary care physicians. Patients pay a fee, usually monthly, in exchange for personalized care and services.

Click on the Listen button above to hear the program.

Click here  for previous episodes of "What's Health Got to Do With It?"

Copyright 2025 WJCT News

Stacey Bennett