The offices of Migrant Clinicians Network are spread out over several states, the main one being in Austin, TX, and the other very small “satellite” offices on both West and East Coasts. Each of our Five on Friday posts documents the news and notes that we share with each other, which keep us closely engaged despite thousands of miles between us. Today’s offerings come from Texas, Maryland, and Washington State. 

1. Homero, Health Network Associate, sent along an interesting Austin Chronicle opinion piece that covers last week’s memorial at a construction site for a worker who recently died on the job. Health Network Associates Elodie and Olivia attended the memorial; they found out about the event from Bethany Boggess, research coordinator at Workers Defense Project and long-time MCN friend, who had discovered the death in an OSHA report. From the article: “Consumer demand, as Boggess pointed out to me, can certainly be a driver of change. If enough people refused to live in homes marked by the suffering of those who built them, developers would find a way to ensure their workers' safety, regardless of what excuses they might be offering right now for maintaining the status quo.”

2. Ileana, Senior Advisor for Scientific and Strategic Planning, offered this last chance for community health workers to apply for a scholarship to attend AHPA’s 2015 annual meeting. “It is great to see our national public health policy drivers recognizing and incorporating cultural diversity and community engagement by inviting community health workers,” she said. Deadline is today!

3. Amy, Director of Environmental and Occupational Health, recommended this gem from the Guardian on the public health implications of fracking. Fracking is not just affecting health -- It’s affecting health policy for workers across the country, even those not involved in fracking.

4. Amy also sent an article about the accidental spraying of fungicides on a group of teenagers detasseling corn in Indiana. From the article: “Without knowing where these people are at and what field they are in, things like this is going to keep happening, because they are too easy to miss.” 

5. Del, Director of International Projects, Research, and Development, forwarded Sir Elton John’s article on compassionate care by clinicians, printed as part of a new UNAIDS report. 

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