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MDHHS launches new bilingual hotline to help seasonal farmworkers get health info

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A bilingual hotline to connect seasonal farmworkers to health information launched Tuesday, Feb. 21.

It would help workers access and information about COVID-19 vaccines and help arrange appointments.

The initiative is through Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services. In a written release, it said nearly 90,000 farmworkers in the state and their family have limited knowledge of English.

The hotline will help keep workers healthy and reduce work absences, said Dwayne Haywood, senior deputy director of MDHHS Economic Stability Administration.

“We aim to make health care in Michigan client-centered, which includes providing information in the person’s primary language when available to ensure timely health services,” he said.

While the hotline is only English and Spanish, there are translation services available for other languages.

Ben Jodway is an intern, serving as a reporter for WCMU Public Media and the Pioneer in Big Rapids. He has covered Indigenous communities and political extremism in Michigan.