Photo courtesy of Earl Dotter/Migrant Clinicians Network
In 1962, the Migrant Health Act was signed by President John F. Kennedy authorizing the delivery of primary and supplemental health care services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers, resulting in the Migrant Health Center program. This landmark agreement sowed the seeds for what would later become the Community Health Center Program.
Today, Community Health Centers serve more than 1 million migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, approximately 20% of the total estimated agricultural worker population in the United States and territories. Roughly 175 Migrant Health Centers receive supplemental funding to serve this special population. They have a strong record of implementing innovative care models, such as utilizing community health workers to connect patients to prescription food programs, housing support, legal services, and more.
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has teamed up with the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH) to launch the Ag Worker Access Campaign. The campaign’s goal is to develop more effective strategies to increase access to care for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and their families. Migrant Health Program grantees are critical to ensuring access to quality primary and preventive care for patients who might otherwise go without.
Consider these resources and ideas in recognition of Agricultural Worker Health Center Day:
- Share NACHC’s blog about the history of Agricultural Workers in the Health Center Movement.
- Host a mobile health screening event with partners in your community to reach agricultural workers onsite at their workplaces.
- Visit the Ag Worker Access Campaign website to participate in the National Health Center Week Campaign Challenge.
- Access additional tools and resources to learn more about serving this special population.