Desert Healthcare District & 14 community partners launch mobile health fair
Free blood pressure checks, COVID-19 vaccines, dental exams, and more were all available April 13 as many Coachella Valley farmworkers showed up at their job site.
The "Day of Health," or "Día de Salud," was presented at Tudor Ranch in Mecca for its employees and their family members who lack access to healthcare. The event was the first mobile health and wellness fair planned by the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation with partner-organizations such as DAP Health, Coachella Valley Pharmacy, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, and FIND Food Bank.
The organizations sat up tables for residents to visit and receive or learn more about their services. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., more than 70 residents explored a variety of programs and services the community offers. Eighteen of them were seen by DAP Health's mobile dental clinic, and 24 people visited the mobile units that DPMG Health operates for the District and Foundation. (See the full list of participants below.)
In addition to traditional care, such as flu shots, the event provided assistance and information related to general wellness. These included food giveaways and education materials on affordable housing opportunities, as well as sexual and reproductive health. Attendees also had a chance to win raffle prizes, which included two children's bicycles.
In important ways, the event was a continuation of the Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative (CVEC), which the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation established four years ago with Riverside University Health System and multiple grant recipients to implement a response to COVID-19 in underserved communities.
"A lack of access to care continues to be an area of great concern in the valley," said Chris Christensen, interim CEO of the District and Foundation. "Our intention with this event is to remove many of the same barriers to health and wellness that were identified in 2020. When we bring services to where our residents work, live and worship, they don't have to worry about finding transportation to a facility, losing pay to take time off work, or navigating online access."
With the success of the first event, the plan is to deliver the mobile health fair to other areas of need in the valley, said Alejandro Espinoza, Desert Healthcare District and Foundation Chief of Community Engagement. He envisions using the CVEC model of collaborating with grass-roots organizations and promotoras as outreach to the valley's most vulnerable communities. That includes, but is not limited to, replicating the effort with other growers.
Day of Health/Dia de Salud participants
California Farmworker Foundation
Coachella Valley Housing Coalition
Coachella Valley Pharmacy
DAP Health (Mobile dental unit & STI/HIV testing)
Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
DPMG Health
El Sol
FIND Food Bank
Líderes Campesinas
Planned Parenthood
Riverside County Department of Public Social Services
Riverside County Office of Education - Migrant Education
Riverside Latino Commission
Riverside Legal Aid
Visión y Compromiso
About the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation
The Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency formed in 1948. Its mission is to achieve optimal health at all stages of life for all District residents. The District includes more than 400,000 residents and encompasses the entire Coachella Valley. The District and Desert Healthcare Foundation, together, are one of the largest funders in the valley. These funds are used to assist residents — especially the underserved — in accessing vitally needed resources, such as primary and behavioral healthcare. Learn more.