The University of Toledo

Do medical professionals have a responsibility to provide health care and prevention teachings to the people who need it most even if they can’t afford it?

The University of Toledo College of Medicine will host the Medical Spanish Outreach Symposium: Issues in Migrant Worker Health Friday, Feb. 19, from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. in Health Education Building Room 110 on Health Science Campus.

Migrant workers represent a fraction of the Hispanic community with unique health-care challenges not seen within other Hispanic communities in the United States. This symposium is designed to educate participants on these issues.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold, UT Health Science Campus provost, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, will give opening remarks. The symposium will include a presentation by Baldemar Velasquez, president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee and member of the UT Board of Trustees, as well as a panel discussion led by local medical professionals.

The event will feature a keynote speech by Dr. Pedro Jose Greer, assistant dean for academic affairs at Florida International University School of Medicine and recipient of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. He will discuss “Teaching Hurdles” at 1:15 p.m.

The gastroenterologist’s concern for those without access to health care has fueled his passion and facilitated the creation of various free clinics for the homeless, undocumented, migrant and poor of Miami.

Greer has written a book titled Waking up in America, which is an autobiographical account of his early years. In addition, he has published nearly 30 articles and book chapters on topics ranging from digestive disorders to issues of policy and poverty in America.

After attending this conference, participants will be able to:

• Describe health-care access issues faced by migrant workers;

• Define challenges of providing prevention teaching to this mobile population;

• Identify the importance of providing medical care to Lucas County migrant workers through the mobile migrant camp clinics; and

• Describe how physicians can get involved in local health-care initiatives that will improve the health conditions of migrant health workers.

Refreshments will be provided.

The University of Toledo is accredited by the Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This event qualifies for a maximum of four category one credits. Cost per credit hour is $10 and will be collected as cash or check on the day of the event.

For more information on this public event, contact elpuentedesalud@gmail.com.

This entry was posted  on  Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at  5:13 am and is filed under  Events, UToday.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.  You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.