PHILOMATH, Ore. — Near Corvallis, Ore., health providers offer free services in a rural Grange hall to nearby farmworkers who otherwise couldn’t afford medical care.

Two-thirds of the workers are Hispanic/Latinx, most of whom are uninsured seasonal workers.

The outreach is called the Farm Clinic.

“Many have never seen a doctor in their life, except maybe as a small child. They’re very, very grateful,” said Jean Weisensee, a retired nurse who volunteers at the clinic.

Once a month, volunteers transform Marys River Grange in Philomath, Ore., a barn-like community center, into a health clinic.

Jay Sexton, Grange master, warms the hall with a fire. Volunteers from Gathering Together Farm, one of the farms the clinic serves, set up curtains to create private cubicles for a general physician, chiropractor, osteopathic doctor, acupuncturist and ear nose and throat doctor. Registered nurses alongside interpreters check patients’ blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

The Farm Clinic sees about 20 workers monthly for repetitive motion injuries, strains, infections and more. Sometimes, Sexton said, clinic volunteers catch diabetes onset or early presentation of a tumor.

In 2013, Gabriel Ledger, an emergency physician at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, co-started the clinic. An Oregon transplant, Ledger came from a metropolitan background and had the idea of helping farmworkers when introduced to a farmers market.

“I was blown away by all this good food, and I thought, ‘What can I do to pay it back a little?'” Ledger said.

Ledger partnered with Community Outreach Inc., a nonprofit serving uninsured and under-insured populations in Benton and Linn counties. The Farm Clinic is now a COI outreach.

Ledger said when people need specialized care or medication the Farm Clinic refers them to providers and pharmacies where patients receive free or reduced-cost care and medicine.

The volunteers say holding the clinic at Marys River Grange breaks down barriers to health access: providing a nearby location for workers with limited transportation and offering flexibility for workers who labor long days.

And, Ledger said, the clinic is a safe place for migrants who may be undocumented to seek help, even if they lack a Social Security number or funds.

Many nearby farmworkers, including those at Greengable Gardens and Gathering Together Farm, say they are thankful for the clinic.

“It has helped a lot,” said Mariana, 37, who has been working at Gathering Together for 17 years and asked to be identified by first name only.

Twilight was rolling over the valley, and she had paused from her work to tell her story. Her voice rose against birdsong and low growl of equipment.

She said the clinic volunteers have eased her back pain, and referred her to another doctor when a burr got stuck in her eye.

“I was scared for my eye. But they scheduled me an appointment quickly. Later, they told me: no charge. I was like, ‘What’s happening?’ I’m so lucky, so happy on that day,” she said.

After clinics, farmworkers often invite medical volunteers to share lunch on the farm.

Oregon State University researchers say they are studying models like the Farm Clinic to address disparities in rural healthcare, both for farmworkers and the general community.

Lilly Anderson, who last year received an OSU master’s degree in public health, says the Grange’s natural inclination toward community wellbeing makes it the “perfect partner hiding in plain sight.”

Every Grange, Anderson said, does something public health-related, from providing education to food stability. One-fifth of Granges offer healthcare support, such as training on deafness.

Sexton, the master at Marys River Grange, said Granges are autonomous, so each membership decides if community health is important to them.

“I would say what we do is repeatable, but it takes the perfect storm: a membership that prioritizes health, medical professionals willing to give back to the community and a few people who can organize. Oh, and the actual hall,” Sexton said.

Weisensee, the nurse, added one more: a medical center willing to get behind a volunteer clinic, like COI and Good Samaritan do for the Farm Clinic.

The local hospital, medical staff say, benefits from the partnership because the Farm Clinic keeps the community healthier and prevents unnecessary hospitalizations.

Ledger said the clinic has had more than 750 visits, including many return patients.

During COVID-19, Ledger said he uses “telemedicine,” like phone and video calls, to communicate with farmworkers. When clinic visits resume this summer, Ledger said, he hopes to expand services based on what workers ask for.

“I hope more partnerships like this happen,” said Weisensee. “I’m really appreciative of the space the Grange offers us. And I’m glad to see these workers treated with dignity.”