Outreach
Through the Migrant Camp Outreach Program, the Center provides medical treatment and health education to migrant and seasonal farmworkers living and working in local migrant labor camps. From May through August, the Center sends a team of providers, nurses, and health educators to the camps to provide on-site treatment and education. Health Educators provide education on sexually transmitted diseases, pesticide exposure, and prevention of work related injuries. As needed, patients are referred to one of our Centers and connected to other resources.
Outreach Spotlight
This past year, VG Outreach made a concerted effort to identify and enroll children in the Healthy Kids program under the Oregon Health Plan. VG Outreach staffs tables to give out information and enroll patients at VG Beaverton and VG McMinnville two days a week. “Between May and December of last year we enrolled more than 200 children,” said outreach manager, Ignolia Duyck.
VG Outreach is continuing to focus efforts on providing health services to employees at nurseries and vineyards in Yamhill County. In the fall, VG Outreach was invited to participate in an open enrollment fair at Baileys Nursery where they provided information about Virginia Garcia clinics and services to 130 employees. Once again, the VG mobile clinic will visit Baileys and Monrovia nurseries this summer.
“We have been talking to other nursery and vineyard owners to see how we can work together,” said Duyck. “They have employees who can really benefit from our services.”
VG Outreach collaborated again this year with the Mexican Consulate to plan Bi-National Health Week, an event held every October that focuses on health issues affecting Latino communities. “We planned health forums and health fairs that were held that week all over Oregon,” said Duyck.
Thanks in part to a grant from the Portland Trail Blazers (see Donor Spotlight) the VG Outreach program, Padres Con Initiativa (PCI) continues to support vulnerable families and individuals. PCI is a parenting program that focuses on healthy lifestyles and effective discipline skills for families. Using an evidence-based curriculum, PCI offers classes that teach everything from anger management and communication skills to early childhood literacy.
“We also help to identify individuals at risk for depression and domestic violence,” said Duyck. “Recently we had a mother who was referred to us for parenting classes by court order. She was very angry and thought this would be a waste of her time, but at the end of the first class she began to cry and beg for help because she felt so alone. Now she tells me she enjoys life with her daughter and has recommended the class to her friends.”
Each quarter VG Outreach participates in community health fairs throughout Washington and Yamhill counties, including fairs at several schools. The program provides information on cholesterol and diabetes, H1N1, breast cancer and mammograms as well as offering blood pressure checks.
