Harnessing health

George Isaacs, an AdventHealth Ocala Foundation board member and president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, spends some time with weanlings in a paddock at Bridlewood Farm north of Ocala. The foundation has established the Harnessing Health: Equine Worker Health initiative. [Photo by Bruce Ackerman]

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Posted April 22, 2024 | By Tammy A. Gantt, Special to the Gazette

Reducing barriers to health care for equine workers in Marion County is a top priority for AdventHealth Ocala and has led to the establishment of the Harnessing Health: Equine Worker Health Initiative.

The health initiative program will include a bilingual healthcare navigator to assess needs, build services, and bridge gaps of care for equine workers. The navigator will travel to various locations, including farms, to provide outreach and enrollment assistance to help workers navigate the health care system, in coordination with other agencies.

The hospital-funded health care navigator will operate a mobile clinic van to travel to local farms and provide onsite health care services to equine workers. The clinics will bring health care directly to workers, making the process more accessible and efficient.

Care provided by the mobile clinic van may include typical primary care such as well visits and physicals, common acute and chronic health issues, point of care tests for blood glucose, pregnancy, rapid strep, and immunizations, as well as wellness education. Equipment for the van includes exam tables, a standing exam light, privacy screen, a portable blood pressure machine, a portable pulse oximeter and defibrillator AED.

Starting in 2025, as part of AdventHealth Ocala’s first graduate medical education program, primary care residency training will include clinicians collaborating with the navigator to provide services to local equine workers.

“AdventHealth Ocala has stepped up to assist our farm workers in a way that I believe will impact their physical and emotional well-being for years to come,” said George Isaacs, AdventHealth Ocala Foundation board member and Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association president.

In addition to the Harnessing Health: Equine Worker Health Initiative, the AdventHealth Ocala Foundation is investing $10,000 to seed the hospital’s Care 360° program fund. Care 360° is a no-cost program that coordinates transportation, meal delivery, and more for underserved patients, including the equine worker population.

As the foundation continues to advance whole-person health, there is an importance to expand services to include health promotion interventions, accessible care, and proactive outreach to the community’s equine workers. The initiative will provide crucial resources for a population of people who are disproportionally impacted by lack of access to equitable health care.

AdventHealth Ocala, the foundation and members of the equine industry including the FTBOA, Ocala Farm Ministry, and equine farms invite industry stakeholders to help support the initiative to make health care more accessible and to provide services for equine workers and their families by contributing to the program expense.

“Every donation makes a difference to help our nonprofit hospital deliver accessible healthcare to those who need it most on our farms,” said Jacqui de Meric, Ocala Farm Ministry board member.

For the program to launch, the cost of the mobile clinic van and medical equipment is $350,000.

Future needs include supporting the medical residents who will travel with the mobile clinic by providing educational resources and medical equipment necessary for their involvement. This expands AdventHealth Ocala’s opportunity to increase capacity to train future physicians, nurses, and other staff, encourage an environment in which clinicians can collaborate and intersect education and health outcomes. The AdventHealth Ocala Foundation will continue to seek support for these additional needed resources.

AdventHealth Ocala’s strategic steps include establishing a two-year strategic plan and rollout which began in 2023, providing quarterly status updates with key performance indicators, engaging agency partners, assessing needs and gaps, hosting equine worker health fair, hiring a bilingual health care navigator, establishing health outreach and partnerships, and purchasing a mobile clinic van and medical equipment. The foundation will provide seed funding for the Care 360° program fund and secure additional funds to develop the Harnessing Health Initiative.

“As we continue to advance whole-person health, it is important to expand our services to include health promotion interventions, accessible care, and proactive outreach to our community’s equine workers. The Harnessing Health: Equine Worker Health Initiative will provide crucial resources for a population of people who are disproportionally impacted by lack of access to equitable health care. We invite you to help us support this initiative by making it more accessible and better equipped to provide services for equine workers and their families,” said Amy Mangan, foundation executive director.

To learn more, contact Mangan at (352) 857-5388 or amy.mangan@adventhealth.com. Interested donors can go to yourgenerosityhealsocala.com