USA Multi-professional Student Led Community Health Fairs

The goal of Georgia Regents University’s Annual Costa Layman Health Fair is to provide meaningful supervised community outreach training opportunities for student nurses, allied health and dental students to engage a workforce of predominantly Hispanic farmworkers in health care awareness, and health promotion/disease prevention. 

With current estimates of 50 million Hispanics and a projected rising population explosion to 119 million by 2060 – the Hispanic population will be the third fastest growing population in the USA As such, the burden and cost of untreated chronic illnesses requiring publically funded health services is certain to increase expenditures for federal and state healthcare budgets. Strategically planned Community Outreach Programs that focus on prevention, regular monitoring, and educational initiatives are key in promotion of improved core quality of living healthcare measures outlined in the 2012 National Health Disparities Report of 2013. According to the United States Office of Planning Research and Evaluation’s National Agriculture Workers Survey, (OPRE # 2012-13), Hispanic farm-workers are often unfamiliar with their healthcare needs and options. Influencing factors include not being born in the USA, having multiple jobs (which limits the potential for employee paid health insurance), language differences and a lack of formal education. The majority of Hispanic farm-workers were born outside the USA and Puerto Rico. Many, (97.81%), were born in Mexico, while 2% were natives of Central America; 0.1% from South America; and 0.09% from the Caribbean. The average foreign-born Hispanic has been in the USA about twelve years and those earning the highest incomes have been in the USA for an average of 15 years. Hispanic farm workers report at least one job while 33% report multiple employers – many of which have no health care benefits. Additionally, the majorities do not speak (48%) or read (60%) English. Spanish is their preferred form of communication. Most Hispanic workers have six years or less of education and only 9% have completed high school.