Expanding on-the-go health care for people in Immokalee

Since the pandemic began, the concept of home health care has picked up, and now there’s an opportunity to expand it. That is especially important for low-income communities.

The people in Immokalee don’t have easy access to health care like those living in Naples, Fort Myers, or Cape Coral. The issue for some is cost, and for others, they don’t have time or transportation to go see a doctor.

The truck hits the road, and this team gets to work. Whether they set up, well, that depends.

Healthcare Network started its door-to-door outreach program in Immokalee during the pandemic. The impact is so obvious that the Centers for Disease Control decided to invest. The Healthcare Network has a $421,000 grant to put more boots on the ground where people need it most.

Mayra Vargas Rivera is the director of community outreach of Healthcare Network SWFL. “It’s rewarding to see that you’re able to reach a much-needed community and that they’re out here with us and that they trust us,” said Rivera.

The mission now is to continue breaking down barriers between this community of farmworkers and getting to health care workers. Wilson Perez took advantage of the service Friday. He showed up, got tested, and got all his questions answered.

He told WINK News reporter Andrea Guerrero that bringing medical care to people who can’t get to a medical center is priceless. “They want and put a lot of effort into it and for me, that’s important for them to put that effort into the community,” Perez said.

Diabetes, heart disease or prenatal care, and pregnancy are all things people worry about. But, no matter what the question, Healthcare Network has got people in Collier County covered.

“We also come from families that come have our own challenges as well and we speak their language so we can connect with them,” Rivera said.

The Healthcare Network’s next project is to go to farms and provide COVID-19 testing, answer any health questions there or connect them to medical experts.