Conversation on Migrant Health with Dr. Sarah Kimball
Thu Dec 11 2025
Across the country, immigrants contribute to the fabric of our society. Working essential jobs, raising families, and enriching our neighborhoods. When it comes to health care, however, many face barriers that go far beyond the doctor’s office: language obstacles, limited access to insurance, fear tied to immigration status, and cultural differences that can make navigating the system overwhelming. In today’s episode, we’ll discuss how our most vulnerable communities are navigating these challenges to health equity.
Today, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Kimball, Director of the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center at Boston Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her medical school training at Harvard University Medical School and did residency training in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Residency Program in Primary Care and Population Medicine. She joined the faculty at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2014. Dr. Kimball has expertise in immigration-informed medical care, where she has helped to research and build health systems that are responsive to the needs of im/migrant patients. She is currently the Director of the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center (IRHC) at BMC, a comprehensive medical home that addresses the barriers that immigrants face to being holistically healthy. She has served previously as the Medical Director of the Boston Accountable Care Organization (BACO) Complex Care Management (CCM) program at BMC. In addition to a love of primary care, Dr. Kimball’s main interest is in teaching social justice and advocacy skills. She is an associate editor at the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, with an expertise in Health Services Research. She was a founding member of the Society of Refugee Health Providers and serves at the co-Chair of the Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee.
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Across the country, immigrants contribute to the fabric of our society. Working essential jobs, raising families, and enriching our neighborhoods. When it comes to health care, however, many face barriers that go far beyond the doctor’s office: language obstacles, limited access to insurance, fear tied to immigration status, and cultural differences that can make navigating the system overwhelming. In today’s episode, we’ll discuss how our most vulnerable communities are navigating these challenges to health equity. Today, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Kimball, Director of the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center at Boston Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her medical school training at Harvard University Medical School and did residency training in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Residency Program in Primary Care and Population Medicine. She joined the faculty at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2014. Dr. Kimball has expertise in immigration-informed medical care, where she has helped to research and build health systems that are responsive to the needs of im/migrant patients. She is currently the Director of the Immigrant & Refugee Health Center (IRHC) at BMC, a comprehensive medical home that addresses the barriers that immigrants face to being holistically healthy. She has served previously as the Medical Director of the Boston Accountable Care Organization (BACO) Complex Care Management (CCM) program at BMC. In addition to a love of primary care, Dr. Kimball’s main interest is in teaching social justice and advocacy skills. She is an associate editor at the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, with an expertise in Health Services Research. She was a founding member of the Society of Refugee Health Providers and serves at the co-Chair of the Research, Evaluation, and Ethics Committee.