The Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc. Agricultural Worker Health Program is a national award-winning program. In May 2018, the National Association of Community Health Center (NACHC) awarded the Leroy E. Browne Medical Center as the Migrant Health Center of the Year. In May 2019, Mr. Roland Gardner, BJHCHS, INC., CEO was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Migrant Health. Our program is very comprehensive and our agricultural workers are well deserving of our services. Why do we care? We care because all the hard work they do to put our vegetables and fruits in our tables, earning very little money and exposing themselves to heat and other illnesses.
Our program provides culturally, sensitively, and linguistically competent information and health education to the workers through an experienced team of outreach workers. We assess their needs, evaluate data, and refer them to our community health centers or to other specialty doctors if needed. Also, collaborate and coordinate with the community and other agencies that work with the agriculture workers. Agencies such as the Migrant Clinicians Network (MCN), Hispanic Ministries, Education Programs, etc. Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of our agricultural workers and their families.
Without Agriculture Worker Health Centers, many of our workers would experience health problems that go unchecked and untreated.
Program Services
The scope of services is based on individual and farmer assessments carried out by our staff of qualified and culturally sensitive professionals.
Adult Medicine
OB/GYN
Pediatrics
Dental services: Dr. Washington, Dental Director, and the services of the RMCM, Ms. K. Washington and Glasscho CM, Ms. Fallon Gordon
Nutrition/Diabetic Education
Pharmacy
WIC
Lab and X-ray services
HIV testing
Coordination with other agencies such as:
Migrant Clinician Network (MCN) – Enrollment
Summer School Programs
Easy access to specialty providers
Interpreters
Transportation
Behavioral Health
Eye Clinics and Fundus Exams: Dr. Baxter McClendon
Night Clinics Program
The Program also offers a night clinic from June 1st until July 15th. The night clinic is held during the tomato and watermelon-picking season.
The clinic opens at 6:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and on Saturday mornings.
An outreach team coordinates health education and visits the labor camps.
Staff
Agricultural Worker Health Program Director.: Maridolores Valentin Gonzalez
For more information, please contact the Leroy E. Browne Medical Center at 843-838-2086
Community Health Centers serve approximately 20% of the estimated 4.5 billion Ag workers in the U.S. The Agriculture Worker Health Services Program's goal nationwide is to serve no less than 2 million Ag workers and their families by 2020.