SEAHEC Recognized for Inspiring Rural Health Program

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Healthy Farms Community Garden

On Thursday Aug 1, 2019 the Arizona Rural Health Association recognized SEAHEC’s Healthy Farms Program for our work with the Winchester Heights community. SEAHEC Executive Director Gail Emrick accepted the award at the Arizona Rural Health Conference in Flagstaff. The Inspiring Rural Health Program award “recognizes a program within a community, at the local or state level, that involves one or more health professionals or entities, and promotes or facilitates the development of rural health delivery systems.” Our strategy for rural health delivery is unique and scalable. It leverages public health issues to develop infrastructure needed to jumpstart economic development in rural communities. Our approach differs significantly from previous attempts at development in Winchester Heights, which depended on one or two charismatic people to direct activities and get work done. Winchester Heights has now overcome two critical barriers to sustained development that held back previous efforts at community improvement: Lack of a central meeting space and lack of ongoing recruitment and training of a core group of community leaders. SEAHEC has developed a community health worker driven development model that can be adapted by other rural border communities. Public health outcomes are closely linked to infrastructure.  People who live in… Continue reading

Planting Begins at Community Garden in Burris Children’s Memorial Park

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Healthy Farms Community Garden

  On Saturday April 27th, Winchester Heights residents gathered at the Burris Children’s Memorial Park to plant agave, corn, tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables. They planted seedlings in pots, beginning the community’s plans to start a community garden. The agave plants were donated by Jane Williamson-Davenport, FNP-C, who works in the Chiricahua Mobile Clinic, providing health care services to the community. The initiative to start a community garden in Winchester Heights is funded by a Community Food Bank Punch Woods Endowment Grant.       Chiricahua Mobile Clinic Extends Hours at the Winchester Community Center Saturday also marked the start of Chiricahua Mobile Clinic services on the fourth Saturday of each month in addition to their hours every Wednesday. They provided tacos, refreshments and desserts for the community. Refreshments were accompanied by music thanks to the local DJ, Efrain. Continue reading