By Rosa Magnus, WWH
BALDWIN AND HAMMOND, WI – In September 2023, The Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services for Routine Immunization Community Engagement (RICE 2.0) grant program awarded the Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) Foundation $30,776 to initiate new programming that will provide migrant worker vaccine clinics and education.
“The RICE 2.0 grant will allow WWH to do outreach to a population that may not otherwise receive education or protection against common diseases that are preventable or lower risk with vaccinations,” Rosa Magnus, WWH Development Manager stated.
WWH plans to bring vaccine clinics and education to rural, Spanish speaking migrant workers in western Wisconsin that may otherwise go without vaccinations. On November 29, the team initiated the first clinic at Bomaz Farm in Hammond, Wisconsin. After registering with Irma Zwald, Medical Assistant and Interpreter, patients then visited with Dr. Katie Findlay for vaccine education and to ask questions in Spanish. Dr. Roloff then checked vitals and provided information on hypertension in Spanish. Christina Davis and Kristen Hiitola, Medical Assistants administered the actual vaccines and then all participants were given a meal made by Nilssen’s.
The WWH foundation is funding a portion of these efforts covering the actual vaccines and meals while the grant will help fund all supplies, employee hours and travel expense. The WWH RICE Team will offer a February and May clinic as well through the clinic in hopes of growing this offering. Vaccinations administered on November 29 included the following:
- 3 Pediatric COVID shots.
- 23 COVID shots
- 19 Flu shots
- 11 Tetanus shots
- 1 Hepatitis A shot.
The team also addressed questions around smoking cessation and symptoms.
By bringing the vaccines and education to the migrant workers and their families, WWH hopes to remove barriers, build trust, and provide the opportunity to build long lasting healthcare partnerships.
WWH is committed to providing as many holistic services as possible for physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing through ongoing partnerships, new and established. This initiative will serve as the beginning of those efforts for a population that has gone without or not enough for far too long. The WWH RICE Team is proud to be part of this effort and making these connections with our Spanish speaking community members.
We are building a healthier tomorrow together for all.
