Tele-health and Migrant Workers
Tele-health and Migrant Workers
Community health centers have had to shift gears during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure migrant workers, who harvest the food for dinner tables across the nation, have access to health care.
In addition to increased on-site checkups and distributing Personal Protective Equipment, Deborah Salazar, migrant health director with Salud Family Health Centers, says telehealth services have been critical for migrant workers in agriculture.
"And so for them to actually have to take off time to go somewhere to wait for the doctor, to get into the visit, and then go back somewhere - and especially if transportation is an issue - this is perfect for them," Salazar said.
Salazar said the integrated health care model continues to put providers in a good position to meet shifting needs.
"Access to behavioral health right now is as important as the medical side of things, because people are scared," Salazar said. "Having access to that behavioral health piece, for the general population as well as the agricultural workers, is really important."
