Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 12/14/00
      Contact:                           Angey Saucier   101

SLU NURSING AWARDED GRANT FOR FARMWORKERS HEALTH INITIATIVE 
     HAMMOND   Due in part to long working hours, insufficient health insurance and
seasonal work, routine health care has long been a problem facing many area farm workers and
families. With Farmworker's Health Initiative, a project developed by Southeastern Louisiana
University's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, this community will soon have the
opportunity to receive medical treatment and emergency training regardless of insurance status.
     The college is currently working with other educational, medical and agricultural network
partners and communities in Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes to educate, prevent and detect
health problems among agricultural-related workers. FWHI has been made possible by a
$560,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and
Services Administration. 
      According to the Southeastern grant application, many farm workers report not having
health insurance and due to long hours, are not able to seek medical treatments when available.
FWHI's goal is to improve the health of these under served agricultural workers and their
families through recruiting and engaging the entire family in health promotions and screening
activities.
     Over the next three years, improving access to health care for farm workers will be
accomplished through the network of community partners. Carruth said these network members
will conduct various activities in an effort to improve the overall health of families in agriculture
and to prevent, detect and treat both occupational and non-occupational illnesses and diseases. 
Activities will include church health fairs, on-site hearing screening, comprehensive adult
immunizations, diabetic and cancer screenings, CPR training and more. 
     "In order to improved emergency response and outcomes of farm-related emergencies,
farmedic training (responses to farm machinery and chemical-related accidents) will also be
                             (MORE)
SLU NURSING AWARDED GRANT   Add One
provided through the Area Health Education Center of Southeast Louisiana for emergency
medical personnel and first responses in the areas," said Ann Carruth, FWHI Project Director and
Associate Professor of the Southeastern College of Nursing and Health Sciences.  
     According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1997 Census, 1,256 farms exist in St.
Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.
     "Many of these farms employ migrant or seasonal workers who are under served due to
lack of adequate health insurance," said Carruth.  "This came to our attention through another
grant from NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, that targets  farm
women and children of farm owners.  Working in the community with that group of individuals
and agencies, we realized the need for healthcare for farmworkers."
     In 1995, both St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes had higher incidences of heart disease,
cancer, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes than national and state averages.  Physicians from
both parishes have expressed the need for preventative services among this population.
     "We hope to start offering screenings in February and the program's nurse practitioner,
Carolyn Davenport, will begin follow-ups in March. We are now in the process of developing a
volunteer health corp," said Carruth.  "We will soon be looking for individuals who will be able
to help in translations, mainly Spanish, educational programs, people with computer skills and
professionals interested in providing medical services for our targeted people.  We truly want to
maximize all of our community resources."
     Network members participating in FWHI are Area Health Education Center - Southeast
Louisiana; LSU Lallie Kemp Medical Center; the Office of Public Health, Region IX,
Department of Health and Hospitals; LSU Agricultural Center; the National Coalition for Adult
Immunization; the American Heart Association; Tangipahoa Parish Migrant Education Program;
and the Health Center of Louisiana, Independence.

                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu./NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsf00.htm