Dr. Triveni DeFries, along with her incredible team, is leading a transformative initiative to better care for immigrant patients seeking asylum. With a key goal to enhance training and increase accessibility to pro bono assessments, DeFries and her team’s efforts have far-reaching implications for those fleeing persecution, torture, and other harrowing circumstances.

Since its inception in 2019, this E&I grantee has received over 1,000 referrals at ZSFG, underscoring the pressing need for expanded resources. DeFries and her team have leveraged vital support from the Foundation to expand training activities, including the development of online modules. This venture surpassed initial expectations and evolved into a national collaboration.

The result is the birth of a nationally used training platform, www.asylummedtraining.org, which was forged through partnerships with esteemed institutions such as Physicians for Human Rights, Johns Hopkins, the Harvard Cambridge Alliance, and more. Drawing on the expertise of over 80 collaborators from 40 different institutions, the initiative has produced comprehensive modules, providing essential training for clinicians across the nations, including those at ZSFG.

With over 15,000 visitors to the website, Dr. DeFries and her team’s impact extends far beyond the walls of ZSFG. We are thrilled that this grant has allowed such impressive growth into a nationwide resource with the potential to help thousands of providers better care for their asylum and immigrant patient communities.

Physicians at ZSFG go above and beyond, benefiting their patients by treating the whole person. DeFries and her team continue to advocate for this medical and legal collaboration, and they remain committed to amplifying the voices of asylum seekers and ensuring that they receive the care and support they deserve. Through their unwavering dedication, this team at ZSFG is pioneering a new standard of compassionate, equitable health care for all.