Cochise County October 1, 2015 The Arizona Community Foundation of Cochise (formerly the Cochise Community Foundation) has awarded SEAHEC renewed support for Cochise County’s first farm based community health worker team. SEAHEC’s “Healthy Farms” program was established in 2009, to recruit and train local farm workers to become community health workers. The CHWs provide community health education, referrals to services and collect data on community identified health issues, which is used in planning future activities. Since FY 2013, The Arizona Community Foundation of Cochise, (formerly the Cochise Community Foundation) has provided financial support for the program. In October, 2015, we received another award from the foundation that will support further development of the program, and provide more “service learning” opportunities for health professions students through FY 2016. SEAHEC would like to thank the Arizona Community Foundation of Cochise, for their continuing support in helping us improve access to health services in southern Arizona.

Community Impact Timeline:

2013 Highlights

SEAHEC launches Cochise County’s first team of farm workers trained to provide health information, referrals and farm health and safety information to community members.
  1. Development of a community health worker training curriculum tailored to farm workers and farming communities.
  2. New system for providing referrals to health and social services providers for community members.
  3. Increased access to health and safety information for an estimated 100 community members through community health education workshops on Diabetes, cold/flu and anti-biotic use, alcohol and drug abuse and nutrition.
  4. Community health assessment identifies need for bus shelters for school children in Winchester Heights, Cochise County, north of Willcox.

2014 Highlights

“Healthy Farms” CHWs collaborate with health professions students recruited by SEAHEC to make infrastructure improvements and provide community health and safety workshops. Construction begins on two bus shelters for the Winchester Heights community.Two bus shelters in Winchester Heights now protect school children from the elements while they wait for the school bus.
  1. “Healthy Farms” model introduced to bi-national audience at Arizona-Mexico Border Health Commission meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.
  2. Home visits to 51 families improve access to information diabetes, respiratory problems and allergies.
  3. Need for paved roads, street lights identified by community as priority  health issues.

2015 Highlights

“Healthy Farms” CHWs and UA health professions students collaborate to build upon earlier successes. Highlights include:Annual “Healthy Farms” health fair brings “back to school” health and safety information to 60 school aged children and their families,
  1. “Healthy Farms” CHWs and UA health professions students conduct over 50 home visits to provide health education, referrals to medical providers, and conduct a health survey to identify future health needs.
  2. The “Healthy Farms” team joins the Arizona Community Health Workers Association AzCHOW, and attends their first ever AzCHOW training conference, which gains them access to a state-wide professional support system for community health workers.
  3. “Healthy Farms” CHWs and AzCHOW president, Floribella Redondo initiate work on a technical assistance plan for the team to be provided by AzCHOW, Arizona’s professional association for community health workers.