The new year brings renewed hope for meaningful and measurable steps toward health justice for the mobile poor. Amid setbacks and struggles, many gains have been made in the past year -- and more is on the way. Here are the top five ways MCN is forging ahead for health justice in 2018.

1. Assure that migration isn’t a barrier to health care: You’ve used Health Network, MCN’s bridge case management system for mobile patients, for the TB patient who needed to migrate -- but what about your patient newly diagnosed with diabetes, who needs to move for work? Or the pregnant woman who is visiting her family until the baby is born? Health Network is available for free to any mobile individual with any ongoing health condition.
   
   
   
   



2. Help patients limit their occupational exposures: MCN continues to make big strides in assuring that workers stay safe on the job. In 2018, MCN is launching a program in Virginia to help patients limit their families’ exposure to pesticides. In Puerto Rico, we’ll be offering on-site trainings for community health workers to help workers avoid chemical exposures on the job -- a critical project that is partly funded by donations raised during 2017’s Giving Tuesday. We’ll also be continuing our work on occupational exposures after disasters. Make sure to check out our Western Forum for Migrant & Community Health sessions for more on occupational exposures and how clinicians can help patients avoid them.
   
   
   
   



3. Accelerate your patient’s progress on lowering her hemoglobin A1C with the right tools: This month, MCN is launching an ECHO webinar series specifically for community health workers (CHWs) to best reach and support patients with diabetes. Additionally, throughout the year, MCN will offer expert-reviewed, research-backed, and low-literacy resources and tools to equip patients to manage their diabetes effectively.
   
   
   
   



4. Protect children’s health: Children of agricultural workers are disproportionately exposed to occupational hazards. Leveraging our work with the Protecting Children project, we will continue to push for the safety and health of children and adolescents. Join us at the  North American Agricultural Safety Summit in February where we’ll talk about childcare as a critical piece to agricultural children’s health and safety.
   
   
   
   



5. Address the social determinants of health: MCN will participate in SDOH Academy, a six-month webinar series funded by HRSA, organized by the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership and featuring experts from 14 National Cooperative Agreements. MCN will offer perspective on the social determinants of health for agricultural workers in May. The series kicks off this month.

As we roll into 2018, we resolve to bring education, technical assistance, peer support, and advocacy to the field, creating a chain of connection and commitment that makes everyone stronger and more effective as we unite for one cause: health justice for the mobile poor. And we’ve got lots of work to do. Here’s to a great 2018!

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