County Nurse Recognized for Work with Refugees

Bonnie Copland chats wtih Ayan Mohamed during a recent refugee forum.

She says she does not work for awards or recognition. However, Bonnie Copland, Manager of the County’s Central Region Public Health Center, was one of six people recognized last night for her work with refugees.

Copland, 61, received the OceanLeaf: Health and Well-Being Award from Somali Family Service of San Diego (SFS).

“I am humbled,” said Copland, who has worked for the County Health and Human Services Agency for the past 11 years, eight of those in the City Heights community. “The work that I do, I don’t do for awards. I do it because I love working in this community.”

An estimated 30,000 Somali and other East African refugees live in San Diego County. The OceanLeaf Award was established two years ago and recognizes the accomplishments of San Diegans who have contributed to the advancement of the Somali and East African refugees in the city. 

“San Diego has the second largest population of Somali and East African refugees in the entire nation,” SFS President and CEO Ahmed Sahid said when announcing the winners. “So it’s very important that we are able to help the refugee community integrate into the larger San Diego community well. It takes combined efforts to see real progress and change happen”

Copland and her team of about 40 employees do vaccination  and sexually-transmitted disease clinic services, home visitations, and health promotion and education in City Heights on topics such as vaccinations, maternal health, tuberculosis control, and healthy eating and physical activity. The goal is to connect people with a medical provider so that they can receive appropriate services, one of the objectives of the County’s Live Well, Sand Diego! initiative. 

“Refugees have a different struggle when they get here,” said Copland. “We need to assess and understand the health beliefs that people have.”

Earlier in her career, Copland lived and worked in Papua New Guinea for 10 years. Her experience there, she said, has helped her understand the cultural and language challenges refugees face when they get here.

 “You have to be very sensitive in refugee communities on how you address certain health topics,” said Copland, who regularly attends a monthly gathering of organizations and advocates serving refugee communities in San Diego.” I try to be a bridge for the refugees.”