In 1975, six-year old Virginia Garcia and her farmworker parents traveled from their home in Mission, Texas to California and Oregon to work in the fields. Along the way Virginia cut her foot, and by the time they reached Oregon, it had become infected. Economic, linguistic, and cultural barriers prevented Virginia from getting the healthcare she needed and she died from what should have been an easily treatable wound.

In the last year we’ve similarly seen inequities in healthcare become glaringly visible during a healthcare emergency. It’s also become more clear than ever that these gaps in healthcare access affect not just the individuals that are overlooked, but the population at large. During this COVID-19 crisis we must ensure that everyone has access to testing, information, and healthcare to prevent the spread of the virus.

Virginia Garcia’s unnecessary death inspired the community to prevent similar tragedies from occurring, leading to the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center. Started in a three-car garage, today Virginia Garcia MHC provides healthcare services to 52,000 patients a year at five primary care clinics and pharmacies, six dental clinics, a women’s clinic, and five school-based health centers, as well as outreach to schools and to migrant and seasonal farmworkers at local camps via a mobile clinic.

The Mission of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is to provide high quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and others with barriers to receiving health care. In addition to disease prevention, VGMHC focuses on overall wellness and healthy living, bringing practical physical and mental wellness into the daily lives of their patients and communities. They offer healthy cooking classes, a nutritious community garden, exercise classes and youth programs.

During the COVID-19 pandemic VGMHC has been offering free COVID-19 screening. Their mobile clinic allows them to travel to communities that may not be served by healthcare professionals otherwise, helping to detect, isolate and treat COVID-19 cases and slow the spread of the virus.

This year has put a huge strain on everyone, and in particular our healthcare system and healthcare workers. One of the many challenging things about a global pandemic is the feeling of having no control or limited ability to help the situation. Here's a way you can help! Make a donation to Virginia Garcia MHC during the month of December, and Equilibrium will match all in-office donations. To donate directly (unmatched) , click the button below.