Rich Kovar, MD
Country Doctor Community Health Centers
rdkovar@gmail.com
Seattle, WA, USA

Area of expertise: Medical evaluation of asylum seekers; Health care for asylees, refugees and immigrants

I have done over 450 medical evaluations (less than 10 psychological evaluations) of asylum seekers since stumbling into this work in 1998 when there was nobody else in the Northwest north of Oregon doing these evaluations. I have worked with PHR, Center for Victims of Torture, Healthright, IRC, Refugees Northwest and now a UW student run group to perform evaluations and train scores of evaluators over the last 17 years.

I am a full time family physician in a community health center and have worked in 9 countries and 5 continents in the past providing refugee relief work. I teach students and residents as well and am committed to ensuring future providers know the difference between asylum seekers, refugees and the different kinds of documented and undocumented immigrants with the basics of their rights and privileges.