Maribel Renteria is Clinic Manager at NHC’s Canby clinic.

Giving the gift of health to mobile and food system workers

Maribel Renteria is the Clinic Manager at NHC’s Canby clinic, overseeing day-to-day operations. Many of the patients her team sees are uninsured or on Oregon Health Plan (OHP); a portion of these patients are mobile workers — a community that the respiratory virus outbreak has disproportionately impacted.

Maribel has helped lead a number of infectious disease vaccine outreach efforts to mobile workers in the Canby area. Since April, she and her team vaccinated more than 200 mobile workers at volunteer outreach events coordinated by Clackamas County.

Maribel was joined by an NHC physician and bilingual medical assistants at each event. Maribel, a native Spanish speaker, supports patients and assists with translation.

The team loads their personal vehicles with supplies — hand sanitizer, masks, clinic brochures, and information about accessing resources, getting assistance paying bills, or paying rent — and heads out to the fields.

Maribel’s Mission

Maribel began working alongside her family when she was just 15 years old. Her parents couldn’t always afford the clothes and shoes she wanted, so she worked for them. “I’ve had the chance to work with [this community]. Hear them out. Through these conversations, I’ve learned how difficult it is to get healthcare, how hard it is to get paid.”

We hear you. We see you.

Establishing trust is an essential part of this work. For Maribel and her team, this can mean small gestures like giving out their personal names and taking the time to listen.

After initially hesitating, a worker might disclose a health concern like a cut that needs medical attention. Maribel and her team would provide a brochure with contact information and encourage the worker to call the Canby clinic and ask for Maribel or her team members by name.

“We talk with them, hear them out…” she says. “We want them to know ‘We’re here for you. We see you.’”

Overcoming Barriers

Maribel says the overwhelming response has been one of gratitude and relief.

For those with misgivings, Maribel and her team do what they can to address questions and put community members at ease. Sometimes it means helping a patient overcome a fear of needles. Other times it’s debunking myths about the infectious disease vaccine itself. For many food system workers, worries about immigration status loom large: “Some mobile workers see this as government help and there’s a worry that accepting it will negatively affect their immigration status.”

At one of the recent events, a worker declined the vaccine over fears about potential side effects. She’d heard that her arm could be sore for a few days* and said she couldn’t afford to miss a day of work.

While rampant misinformation is a barrier for many residents, the workers attending these outreach events have elected to be there – often traveling from nearby farms to get vaccinated. “Generally speaking, if they are there, they’ve chosen to get it.”

Mobile Health Outreach

NHC’s new mobile medical van — made possible by a grant from Oregon Health Authority (OHA) — will allow NHC to reach more mobile workers with more healthcare services — and extend NHC’s outreach to a broader geographic area.

And the need is great. According to OHA, an estimated 174,000 mobile and food system workers and related family members support Oregon’s multi-billion dollar agricultural industry.

If there’s one message Maribel would like to convey to those who may be hesitant to attend a vaccine event or seek out medical care, it’s this:

“We’re here to help you. We’re here to bring you and your family the support you need. Use this help. It’s there for you.”

*Some vaccine recipients experience pain at the injection site.