The Fidelis Care Blog

September 15-21 is National Farm Safety and Health Week, a time to reflect upon the well-being of those who produce the food on our tables. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the agricultural sector is the most dangerous in America with 453 fatalities in 2021. In observance of the week, Sandra Rivera, a Community Health Worker at Oak Orchard Health, shares how it helps keep farmworkers in Western New York safe and healthy:

Since 1973, Oak Orchard Health (OOH) has been committed to providing person-centered and culturally competent care to our most underserved communities, especially in our agricultural community. OOH was originally funded as a migrant health project. Agriculture is the number one industry in Western New York, specifically in Orleans and Genesee Counties, where most of our farmworkers and their families reside, work, and attend school.  

Farmworkers are exposed to risky and harsh conditions, such as harmful chemicals, long working hours, working with large animals, operating heavy equipment, and extreme weather conditions. Agricultural workers are also responsible for feeding our local communities and our country, and we must keep them healthy. 

How Oak Orchard Community Health Centers Keeps Farmworkers Healthy

One step to keeping farmworkers healthy is the Oak Orchard Health Outreach Team and its Community Health Workers (CHW).  CHWs visit farms or camps around the region and provide necessary healthcare, health education, immunizations, and blood pressure checks.  They can also help set up future medical appointments and get prescriptions filled. The Community Health Workers are certified Spanish interpreters and have built a trusted relationship with the farmworkers, their families, and the farm owners. In addition to the above services, the outreach team provides the following services:

• COVID-19 education, testing. and vaccinations
• Spanish-English interpretation and translation
• Transportation
• Expanded evening hours for farmworkers so they don’t miss work and lose pay

If farmworkers are eligible for health insurance, Oak Orchard has facilitated health insurance enrollers such as Fidelis Care in their healthcare facilities. Enrollers will also tag along with the OOH Outreach team to help workers apply for health insurance from the comfort of their own homes. Having health insurance removes the financial barrier to getting healthcare.  If individuals are not eligible for health insurance, Community Health Workers will help guide them to enrolling into our Sliding Scale Fee program.   

Our Vision for the Future

Oak Orchard Health’s vision is to be a leader of continuous growth and transformation, where innovative, holistic, and comprehensive care—for body and mind—is provided for all in partnership with our community. 

We are here for everyone, all farmworkers and their families, regardless of financial means, immigration status, or station in life, as a caring, compassionate, nonjudgmental, trustworthy provider.