The Coolidge examiner., 1939-03-30
Agric. Health And
Medical Assoc.
Aid to Workers

| hO Etdoo AllrSTdIlOn or transient
agricultural workers.. or "crop
followers" into our state each year
has brought attention to the
problems of a people who are "un-
der-fed, under-clothed, and under
housed" Many types of health
problems develop out of the living
and sanitary condition, and the eco
nomical state, of this group of peo-
pie. Among these We find the easy
spread of communicable disease;
the many diseases caused by I'M
sanitary living conditions; and
diseases traced to malnutrition and
neglect of health due to poverty.
Many times family of seven or
more live In one small tent These
large families have yearly income
Of around $500. From this you can
easily understand they must ne
glect their health, and seldom can
provide enough food for their
families. Therefore, they must get
Federal, County or State aid, or
go hungry and ill. They follow the
crops from state to state hoping
to make at least a bare living for
themselves and their families
Therefore, they are seldom eligible
for state or county aid. The Agri-
cultural Workers Health & Medical
Association, a Government corpora
ton, was set up to provide medical
and hospital care for these families
of transient agricultural workers.
In this way it aids not only these
people but also the community it
self In that 1t helps to keep down
diseases, and lightens
the load of the County by giving
medical aid to hundreds of in
diviulas. This association gives
them an opportunity to receive tho
medical or dental care they need
at present, and they are required
to repay the Government when fl
nancially able to do SO.
In the Coolidge office Of the
Agricultural Workers Health and
Medical Association, located in the
Coolidge Hotel Building, there is
at present a staff of two girls; one
registered nurse, Marie MCGEE;
and the secretary, Hope Harold,
both of Coolidge. From October I
through February Is, Lorraine Moi
felt, Registered nurse, of Phoenix:
was a member of the staff. Then
during the months of December and
January, when there was so much
illness among the migratory agri-
cultural workers, W.. S. Parsons Of
Phoenix was sent out to aid in the
Investigations.
The office here in Coolidge has
averaged more work per month
than any other in the state. They
have been operating for 6 months,
and have a membership Of 54S. This
means they have taken care of 54S
families, and out of this number OF
families, 1926 individual cases have
been referred to doctors for medi-
cal and dental aid.
The members have their own
choice of doctor, picked from the
Panel of the Association, and in
clude Drs.. G. B. Steward and F. P.
Perkins Of Florence; Drs. H. B.
Lehmberg, J. E. Redden, and c. R.
Nevis of Casa Grande; and Drs. G.
H. Walker, B. L. Steward, VIM.
Jackson of Coolidge. The dentists,
K. X. Knower of Casa Grande; F.
Brockman of Florence and R. V.
Campbell of Coolidge are also a
part of the Panel.
When disqualification is required,
they are sent either to the Pinal
County Hospital at Florence, or
to the Lincoln Hotel, which Is be-
ing used as an emergency hospital
! at Casa Grande. Also a number or
cases have been placed in the Phoe-
nix hospitals, both for operations
and medical care.