- Emory University students and faculty travel to Bainbridge, GA, each summer to provide free healthcare to migrant farm workers through the Emory Farm Worker Project.
- The project removes barriers to care by offering mobile clinics with interpreter services, ensuring patients don’t need transportation or insurance.
- Watch the story to hear why these healthcare services are removing challenges migrants face when it comes to receiving equitable healthcare.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Each summer, the Bainbridge community in South Georgia opens its arms to a dedicated group of Emory University students and faculty who travel south on a mission of service. Their goal: to provide free, accessible healthcare to migrant farm workers through the Emory Farm Worker Project, in partnership with the Georgia Farm Worker Health Clinic.
“It is a long-term relationship we’ve had with multiple organizations in Bainbridge that do provide dinner for our healthcare clinic workers,” said Dr. Jodie Guest, Director of the Project. “It’s a beautiful way of saying thank you.”
The annual effort brings dozens of Emory medical, public health, and physician assistant students together with faculty to operate mobile clinics that eliminate the barriers many migrant workers face in accessing care.
“You don’t need transportation services—we’ll come to you,” said Dr. Guest. “Our clinics are free, and we also provide a lot of interpreter services.”
According to KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), noncitizen immigrant workers are significantly less likely to have health insurance due to employment in positions that don’t provide private coverage. Additionally, fears related to immigration status often deter individuals from seeking necessary medical attention.
Despite these challenges, the Emory team offers a reassuring presence.
“We are definitely seeing reduced numbers,” Dr. Guest explained. “It is an uncomfortable time to be in the position that most of our patients are in. We are very clear about our support for them.”
For Emory student Michael Picard, the experience is both educational and deeply personal.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to come here with the rest of the team and get to practice patient care but also try to make a difference in people’s lives,” he said. “There’s a fulfilling feeling we get from staying up late and waking up early to see patients.”
The Bainbridge visit includes multiple clinic days, with the team scheduled to complete two more before wrapping up their stay. As they do, the impact of their presence.
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