Fuller Project reporter Jenna Krajeski profiled Dr. Lubab al-Quraishi, an Iraqi surgical pathologist and a refugee, who was helping the US in its COVID-19 response by administering tests to elderly residents in nursing homes in Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn. When the lab director at the pathology lab where she works asked for volunteers, she was the first to step up, despite the risk of infection. “We are from Baghdad, we know how to handle difficult situations,” she told Krajeski.
Following our reporting, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called Dr. Al-Quraishi directly to thank her for her service and pledged to help extend her temporary medical license. Advocacy groups cited the reporting as having raised awareness about licensure barriers. Al-Quraishi has been invited to speak on the issue, and she penned an open letter to then-incoming President Biden asking him to help refugee medical professionals practice in their fields of expertise.
