Director honored as “Healthcare Collaborator of the Year” by the forefront farmworker clinic in Illinois

Community Health Partnership of Illinois (CHP) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) whose mission is to build and deliver quality, culturally responsive healthcare. Their network is comprised of six health and dental clinics and multiple outreach sites across northern and central Illinois. They predominantly serve people who are uninsured and underserved and are the main clinic network for migrant and seasonal farmworkers across the state of Illinois.

Dr. Linda Forst, the Director of the Great Lakes Center for Farmworker Health and Wellbeing, has worked with the network for several years on various projects related to worker safety and health. Once the Great Lakes Center for Farmworker Health and Wellbeing launched in 2022, CHP became one of the main outreach partners of the Center and helped its staff connect with farmworkers across the state to learn more about their health and work-related concerns.

At the annual CHP gala in Harvard, IL, the Director was awarded “Healthcare Collaborator of the Year” for her years of partnership and service to farmworkers.

“[Together] we are leveraging resources from federal funders, universities, health systems, legal and social services, state agencies, nonprofits, and trade organizations—and, of course, from farmworkers, themselves. Together, we have the power to promote decent work and protect the health and well-being of this essential workforce.” -Linda Forst at the Annual Gala