Paul L. Geltman, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Health Policy & Health Svcs Research

Paul Geltman
617.358.6440
560 Harrison Ave

Biography

Dr. Paul Geltman is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and of Health Policy and Health Services Research at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. He serves as Medical Director for Refugee Health in the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. After starting his career as a primary care pediatrician at the Upham’s Corner Health Center in Dorchester, he returned in 2019 as its first Chief Medical Officer. Prior employment included Franciscan Children’s, Cambridge Health Alliance, and the Whittier Street Health Center.

Dr. Geltman is a graduate of Princeton University and received his M.D. and M.P.H degrees from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. After his pediatric residency at the Floating Hospital for Children in Boston, he completed a post-graduate academic fellowship in child advocacy and community pediatrics, with a focus on immigrant and refugee children, at Boston Medical Center (then Boston City Hospital). His academic work has produced wide-ranging publications focused on the health issues of low-income children and refugees, in particular prevention of iron deficiency and lead poisoning as well as oral health. His research has included the most extensive report on lead poisoning among refugee children in the U.S., a nationwide study of the health status outcomes of the unaccompanied refugee minors known commonly as the “Lost Boys” of Sudan, and a NIH-funded study of the impact of literacy and acculturation on the oral health and other health outcomes of Somali refugees in Massachusetts.

Dr. Geltman has worked in clinical, policy, and public health settings with refugee populations resettled in Massachusetts, as well as in Rwanda. For the Department of Public Health, since 1997, he has helped oversee clinical aspects of the Commonwealth’s statewide health screening program for newly-arriving refugees and other related public health programs.

Other Positions

  • Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Whittier Street Health Center

Education

  • George Washington University, MD
  • George Washington University, MPH
  • Princeton University, AB

Publications

  • Published on 4/30/2022

    Smock L, Nguyen T, Gadani K, Tibbs A, Geltman PL, Bernardo J, Cochran J. Factors Associated with Development of Tuberculosis Disease Among Refugees, Massachusetts, 2008-2018. J Immigr Minor Health. 2023 Feb; 25(1):31-37. PMID: 35501587.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 10/16/2020

    Clarke SK, Kumar GS, Sutton J, Atem J, Banerji A, Brindamour M, Geltman P, Zaaeed N. Potential Impact of COVID-19 on Recently Resettled Refugee Populations in the United States and Canada: Perspectives of Refugee Healthcare Providers. J Immigr Minor Health. 2021 Feb; 23(1):184-189. PMID: 33067740.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 1/1/2020

    Smock L, Martelon M, Metallinos-Katsaras E, Nguyen T, Cochran J, Geltman PL. Recovery From Malnutrition Among Refugee Children Following Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program in Massachusetts, 1998-2010. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2020 Jan/Feb; 26(1):71-79. PMID: 30969273.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 9/20/2019

    Geltman PL, Smock L, Cochran J. Trends in Elevated Blood Lead Levels Using 5 and 10 µg/dL Levels of Concern Among Refugee Children Resettled in Massachusetts, 1998-2015. Public Health Rep. 2019 Nov/Dec; 134(6):608-616. PMID: 31539488.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 6/1/2019

    Murphy JE, Smock L, Hunter-Adams J, Xuan Z, Cochran J, Paasche-Orlow MK, Geltman PL. Relationships Between English Language Proficiency, Health Literacy, and Health Outcomes in Somali Refugees. J Immigr Minor Health. 2019 Jun; 21(3):451-460. PMID: 29907921.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 1/1/2019

    Smock L, Nguyen T, Metallinos-Katsaras E, Magge H, Cochran J, Geltman PL. Refugee Children's Participation in the Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition (WIC) Program in Massachusetts, 1998-2010. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2019 Jan/Feb; 25(1):69-77. PMID: 29672357.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 4/1/2018

    Hunter-Adams J, Cochran J, Laird LD, Paasche-Orlow MK, Geltman PL. Acculturation and a Potential Relationship with Oral Health Outcomes Among Somali Refugees in Massachusetts. J Immigr Minor Health. 2018 Apr; 20(2):351-359. PMID: 28861739.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 6/22/2017

    Berman RS, Smock L, Bair-Merritt MH, Cochran J, Geltman PL. Giving It Our Best Shot? Human Papillomavirus and Hepatitis B Virus Immunization Among Refugees, Massachusetts, 2011-2013. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017 Jun 22; 14:E50. PMID: 28641071.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 5/19/2017

    Albino J, Tiwari T, Gansky SA, Henshaw MM, Barker JC, Brega AG, Gregorich SE, Heaton B, Batliner TS, Borrelli B, Geltman P, Kressin NR, Weintraub JA, Finlayson TL, Garcia RI. The basic research factors questionnaire for studying early childhood caries. BMC Oral Health. 2017 May 19; 17(1):83. PMID: 28526003.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 3/29/2017

    Bernstein J, Gebel C, Vargas C, Geltman P, Walter A, Garcia R, Tinanoff N. Listening to paediatric primary care nurses: a qualitative study of the potential for interprofessional oral health practice in six federally qualified health centres in Massachusetts and Maryland. BMJ Open. 2017 Mar 29; 7(3):e014124. PMID: 28360245.

    Read at: PubMed

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