Contact: Amy Simmons Farber 202 309 0338
Migrant Health Centers and leaders will be honored at the Conference for Agricultural Worker Health on May 2nd, in Denver, CO. The Conference for Agricultural Worker Health, sponsored by the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), is the only annual conference dedicated solely to the health and well-being of America’s migratory and seasonal agricultural workers and their families. NACHC sponsors the annual conference to bring together leaders, activists, and experts in migrant health. The conference is also an opportunity for NACHC to recognize and honor colleagues who have made outstanding contributions in migrant health. The awards this year hold special significance as Migrant and Community Health Centers join to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Migrant Health Program.
“We take pride in recognizing colleagues who have done so much on behalf of our migrant and seasonal agricultural workers,” said Rachel Gonzales-Hanson, interim President and CEO of NACHC. “Each in their own way has shown what it takes to make health care meaningful and responsive for this vital part of the nation’s workforce under extraordinary challenges. These honorees have lifted barriers to care and advanced equity during an unprecedented global pandemic. We celebrate their service, courage, and contributions to the Community Health Center Movement.”
The 2022 Migrant Health Awards Recipients include:
2022 Outstanding Migrant Health Center Award
Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida, Immokalee, Florida
Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Onancock, Virginia
2022 Lifetime Achievement in Migrant Health Award
Velma Hendershott, President & CEO, InterCare Community Health Network, Bangor, Michigan
Maria Loredo, COO (retired), Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, Aloha, Oregon
2022 Outstanding Migrant Health Center Board Member Award
Colleen Laeger, Vice Chair of the Board, Salud Family Health Center, Ft. Lupton, Colorado
Maria Rodriguez, Board Member, Westside Family Healthcare, Wilmington, Delaware
2022 Outstanding Migrant Health Public Service Award
Guadalupe Cuesta, MA, Director, National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Collaboration Office, Washington, DC
Eleace Sawyers, CEO, Community Health Partnership of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
Community and Migrant Heath Centers serve approximately 22 percent (nearly one million) of agricultural workers and their families currently living in the U.S. Throughout the pandemic, health centers have responded to the health needs of the nation’s essential agricultural workers who harvest the food on our table and who have suffered disproportionately higher rates of infection and death from the COVID-19 virus.
About National Association of Community Health Centers
Established in 1971, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) serves as the leading national voice for America’s Health Centers and as an advocate for health care access for the medically underserved and uninsured. To learn more visit www.NACHC.org.