Amplifying farmworkers' voices for healthcare equity
The University of Washington is working with laborers in Whatcom and Skagit counties, Washington, to change the status quo.
The UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) is collaborating with farmworkers and other UW researchers to evaluate the health and living conditions of farmworkers in Whatcom and Skagit counties through surveys and in-depth home assessments.
“What makes this study unique is that the community is really leading the way,” said Vanessa Galaviz, DEOHS lecturer and lead investigator. The project is a collaboration between the UW School of Public Health, School of Medicine and School of Social Work, with funding support from the UW Population Health Initiative.
“We are using a community-driven approach to really get at solutions . . . for people who don’t typically have a voice,” Galaviz said. “You really need those who are most impacted to be at the decision-making table if you want to have culturally appropriate solutions that are sustainable and effective.”
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