It’s been about a decade since Knights Landing had its local public health center start operations. In an effort to provide reliable services to the community, UC Davis created a student-run clinic in the area that visits twice a month and provides free services.Leer en español”Health inequities and injustices and this is a perfect example of one — not having access to affordable, quality health care, so that’s why it’s critical and important to ensure that there are systems in place,” said Yamileth Valladolid, who advocates for health equity among minorities and essential workers.Although the majority of the residents are undocumented, the lack of health care is an issue that has affected just about every resident in the area.Leonard Lewis is a resident of Knights Landing. He lacks health insurance and said he prefers to avoid seeking health care.”There’s a lot of things that can be done in this county, especially in Knights Landing. It’s kind of fallen to the side of the road in my opinion,” Lewis said.Juan Carlos Zarate, both a student at UC Davis and one of the co-directors of the Knights Landing One Health Center, said many resources have been stripped from the community.He said there was once a community clinic in the area, but it couldn’t be sustained because of the low patient population.”Knights Landing is a community that hasn’t grown much in the past 10 years,” Zarate said. The Franchise Tax Board reports that there are about 2.1 million households in California that don’t have health care insurance.”A lot of the essential workers and especially ag workers are hit the hardest when it comes to health inequities and injustices, and that’s exactly what this is,” Valladolid said. “It’s definitely so critical that counties are able to work with either federally qualified health centers or themselves have clinics set up.”Irene De Barraicua, a spokesperson with Líderes Campesinas — a farmworker group for women — said, “It’s definitely an irony that people are deemed essential and yet don’t have the essential human rights that we deserve.”The clinic also offers free dental and women’s health services.For students and one of the other co-directors of the clinic, Adela Ramos Martínez, being a part of this project hits close to home. “Really, my motivation is just knowing how hard it is having access to care by experiencing it myself, by seeing it through my parents and through our community,” Martínez said.Meanwhile, Lewis is grateful for the existence of this clinic. He said he needed about half a dozen teeth pulled out. The people at the clinic did so and saved him a lot of money. Without the clinic, he said he would not have gotten the operation. Yolo County recently awarded a contract to CommuniCare Health Centers for street and mobile medical units that will provide outreach to rural areas in addition to serving the homeless population.The Knights Landing One Health Center started its operations in 2012 and now serves this community every first and third Sunday of each month.
It’s been about a decade since Knights Landing had its local public health center start operations. In an effort to provide reliable services to the community, UC Davis created a student-run clinic in the area that visits twice a month and provides free services.
“Health inequities and injustices and this is a perfect example of one — not having access to affordable, quality health care, so that’s why it’s critical and important to ensure that there are systems in place,” said Yamileth Valladolid, who advocates for health equity among minorities and essential workers.
Although the majority of the residents are undocumented, the lack of health care is an issue that has affected just about every resident in the area.
Leonard Lewis is a resident of Knights Landing. He lacks health insurance and said he prefers to avoid seeking health care.
“There’s a lot of things that can be done in this county, especially in Knights Landing. It’s kind of fallen to the side of the road in my opinion,” Lewis said.
Juan Carlos Zarate, both a student at UC Davis and one of the co-directors of the Knights Landing One Health Center, said many resources have been stripped from the community.
He said there was once a community clinic in the area, but it couldn’t be sustained because of the low patient population.
“Knights Landing is a community that hasn’t grown much in the past 10 years,” Zarate said.
The Franchise Tax Board reports that there are about 2.1 million households in California that don’t have health care insurance.
“A lot of the essential workers and especially ag workers are hit the hardest when it comes to health inequities and injustices, and that’s exactly what this is,” Valladolid said. “It’s definitely so critical that counties are able to work with either federally qualified health centers or themselves have clinics set up.”
Irene De Barraicua, a spokesperson with Líderes Campesinas — a farmworker group for women — said, “It’s definitely an irony that people are deemed essential and yet don’t have the essential human rights that we deserve.”
The clinic also offers free dental and women’s health services.
For students and one of the other co-directors of the clinic, Adela Ramos Martínez, being a part of this project hits close to home.
“Really, my motivation is just knowing how hard it is having access to care by experiencing it myself, by seeing it through my parents and through our community,” Martínez said.
Meanwhile, Lewis is grateful for the existence of this clinic. He said he needed about half a dozen teeth pulled out. The people at the clinic did so and saved him a lot of money. Without the clinic, he said he would not have gotten the operation.
Yolo County recently awarded a contract to CommuniCare Health Centers for street and mobile medical units that will provide outreach to rural areas in addition to serving the homeless population.
The Knights Landing One Health Center started its operations in 2012 and now serves this community every first and third Sunday of each month.
