Friends of the Monroe County Medical Society are invited to the upcoming medical student-run conference, “Im/migrant Worker Conference: Health Care Barriers And Solutions” on February 23rd from 9AM to 3PM at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry. Due to generous donations from our sponsors, including the Clinical & Translational Science Institute, several URMC departments and our AMA student chapter, we are happy to offer registration at no cost to students, $5 for the general public and $13 for providers wishing to obtain 4.5 CME credits for attendance. The conference is also sponsored by our AMA Student Chapter and I am one of the key organizers!

Im/migrant workers are a crucial part of the labor force on produce and dairy farms across the country and particularly in Upstate NY. They contribute enormously to the region’s economy, but they do so in the face of hazardous working conditions, wage theft and constant fear of deportation. Moreover, they are excluded from basic rights and protections, including but not limited to the right to organize, the right to a day of rest and the right to overtime pay. The negative health implications abound. This conference will be a unique opportunity for participants to learn about a population of people whose labor intricately intertwines with the region’s economy but whose existence is largely overlooked. For providers, this conference will deepen understanding of the health challenges that im/migrant farmworkers face and prepare us to better address them.

The conference will feature voices of im/migrant farmworker members of the Alianza Agricola (Agricultural Alliance) as well as speakers from Finger Lakes Community Health, Rural & Migrant Ministry, SUNY Geneseo, the University of Rochester, and the New York Civil Liberties Union. It is our goal that, by attending this conference, students, providers, professionals, and community members in the Upstate NY area will:

1.   Gain an awareness about the im/migrant worker communities in upstate NY and their barriers to healthcare.

2.   Acquire new skills to foster providing competent care to im/migrant workers.

3.   Engage with individuals who provide activism and advocacy for the im/migrant worker community, building partnerships for sustainable collaboration.

You can register for the conference using the link to the conference website below. Please feel free to share the website, flyer, or the Facebook page with our fellow Monroe County Society members. It is an excellent opportunity to support our medical students as well.

https://ursmdmwc.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1963899807053593/

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for your time, and we hope to see you at the conference!

 

Sincerely,

Conference Organizers