More than $1 Million in Federal Funds for Hays County's National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc.

Press Release

Today, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced more than $1 million in federal funding for the National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc. (NCFH) located in Hays County. NCFH, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with Migrant and Community Health Centers nationwide, provides innovative training, technical assistance, and materials to improve the level and access of care of farmworkers. Locally, NCFH emphasizes their work not just on farmworkers, but on low-income Hispanics, operating a Breast Cancer Prevention program that focuses on outreach and education and is funded by organizations including the Komen Austin Foundation. In its 5th year of operation in Hays, NCFH partners with several local partners, including Seton Hays, Community Action, Inc., and CommuniCare.

"The National Center for Farmworker Health is paving the way for local migrant and community health centers to improve the level and access to much-needed health services for those with the least who need the most help," said Rep. Doggett. "By understanding how to better provide care, whether through understanding the special challenges some of these individuals face, or by formulating educational and prevention materials that are proven to work, the National Center is literally changing lives. Here in Hays County, women who may have never had a breast cancer screening test are getting the care they need to stay healthy."

Bobbi Ryder, President and CEO of NCFH, was pleased to learn of the funding. "This funding makes it possible for the National Center for Farmworker Health to provide training and technical assistance services to the network of 700+ Migrant and Community Health Centers nationally which collectively serve approximately 900,000 farmworkers. This health center network provides culturally competent, comprehensive primary health care that is responsive to the occupational health needs of agricultural workers and their family members in the rural areas where they live and work. Together we are responsible for improving the health status of those whose labor put healthy fruit and vegetables on the tables of American consumers."

Specifically, these federal funds will be used in a multi-faceted way to address needs through a menu of services designed to improve and expand access to care for farmworkers. Through key partnerships with Primary Care Associations, regional migrant health coordinators, the Farmworker Health Network, and others NCFH will provide various types of assistance to Migrant and Community Health Centers including: comprehensive training and technical assistance; development of models of care and tools for the implementation of Patient Centered Medical Home, Emergency Preparedness, and selected clinical performance improvement areas; data and analysis to identify geographic areas where growth should be targeted; farmworker-specific information services through a specialized, comprehensive library and resource center collection; availability of multiple communication channels for networking, sharing of best practices, and dissemination of resources and information.

For more information, visit http://www.ncfh.org.

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