When Eldon Rogers took ill, an important service to many came to a temporary halt.

Rogers had coordinated the North Carolina Worker Health Program for Surry County, a health clinic for migrant workers laboring on farms in Surry, Yadkin and Stokes counties. When his health necessitated his stepping down in December 2007, a void was created that was not filled until April 2008, when Richard Contreras was appointed farm worker coordinator.

For Contreras, this was his first job in the public sector.

"I had never done this before," he said.

He faced a steep learning curve, with much to learn in order to bring himself current and up to speed. Consequently, it was not possible to get the necessary arrangements in place to conduct the health clinic for 2008; something Contreras was not pleased about.

"They (the migrant workers) would ask me, would they have a night clinic?"

Clinics in the past were held in the evening because harvesting was (and is) done during daylight hours.

A year later, the health clinic has been re-established, and Contreras will be assisted by summer intern Lisa Carroll, who currently is a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning dual degrees, one a master's in public health, and an M.D. degree.

"We're starting this health clinic two nights per month," said Carroll.

The clinic is for agricultural workers only, she said, and the cost starts at $15 and is on a sliding scale.

"A person has to bring a check stub or some sort of proof they work in agriculture," said Carroll. "If they don't have a pay stub, a letter from the farmer stating his name, plus the name of the employee and how much he or she is paid is acceptable."

Carroll added that in addition to the clinic, a health fair will be conducted from 1 - 4 p.m. July 5 at Iglesia Baptist Bethel Church, 1313 Tennessee Street, Yadkinville.

At the health fair, information on health and nutrition, as well as mini-health assessments (such as blood pressue monitoring) will take place. The health fair will be conducted in conjunction with the Surry and Yadkin county health departments said Carroll.

In addition to the twice-monthly health clinics and the health fair, Contreras provides assistance to migrant workers through an outreach program in which he goes to farms and conducts on-site assessments. Some of which he does in that capacity is help address health concerns, as well as coordinate matters such as arranging and providing transportation.

Health clinic dates/hours

All clinics will be held from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Surry County Health and Nurtition Center, 118 Hamby Road, Dobson. Dates are:

• July 8

• July 22

• Aug. 12

• Aug. 26

• Sept. 9

• Sept. 23

• Oct. 14

• Oct. 28

For more information on the clinics and the health fair, please call 401-8573