About Us

About Migrant Health Collaborative

The Migrant Health Collaborative of South Jersey (MHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing essential health screenings and connecting migrant farm laborers with comprehensive healthcare services. It collaborates with the New Jersey Department of Health, local hospitals, clinics, and academic institutions to address the unique challenges faced by this underserved community.

Our Mission

The mission of MHC is to provide assistance to migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families. With a focus on increasing access to healthcare, MHC also aims to provide assistance for the additional aspects vital to a healthy and fulfilling life including educational, recreational, social, and nutritional assistance.

“Migrants are an asset to every country where they bring their labor. Let us give them the dignity they deserve as human beings and the respect they deserve as workers.”

Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labor Organization, at that time, marking first UN designated International Migrants Day, December 18, 2001

Our History

A group of dedicated volunteers establishes Migrant Worker Outreach (MWO) with the mission to provide educational, social, and recreational activities for migrant farmworkers and their families in South Jersey. MWO worked for years with many local civic groups, charities, schools, businesses and healthcare organizations. MWO also collaborated with NJ Department of Health Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (NJ-DOH) and the NJ Department of Labor in order to help direct resources to the farm workers and their families. MWO was previously recognized by The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) as making a positive impact in rural communities.

Early 2000s

The Roots: Migrant Worker Outreach (MWO) Begins

MWO assembles 300 Zika prevention kits with items provided by NJ Department of Health, Office of Primary Care and Rural Health. The Zika prevention kits were distributed to workers traveling back and forth from areas where Zika was reported.

2017

Protecting Health with Zika Prevention

MWO volunteers visited 25-30 migrant camps during the blueberry harvest in June and July. They welcomed the men, women and children of these camps and taught English classes, organized art nights, storytelling events, poetry classes, and field trips. They distributed welcome gifts, toiletries, clothing, and bedding. Donations of fresh produce from local faith based organizations and foods from national chains were distributed among the various camps.

Pre-2020 (Before COVID-19)

Building Community Through Activities

MWO officially dissolved following the retirement of its director. Yet, its spirit and mission lived on through the formation of Migrant Health Collaborative of South Jersey in October 2022. Built on MWO’s foundation, MHC emerged under the guidance of MWO’s founder and a new director with years of experience as both a volunteer and board member.

2022

A New Chapter Begins – MWO Transitions to MHC

In its first year, MHC made significant strides. With donations from individuals and organizations across South Jersey, the collaborative distributed over 800 gift bags containing personal hygiene items. Clothing, shoes, toys, feminine hygiene products, and diapers also reached hundreds of migrant workers and their families. The organization further strengthened ties with local universities and medical schools, providing access to vital healthcare items like glasses, dental hygiene products, children’s vitamins, and diapers. Health screenings were conducted for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol—all key risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. Those in need were referred to local clinics for follow-up care.

2022 –Today

Expanding the Legacy

Empowering Healthier Lives Through Compassionate Support

MHC empowers migrant farm laborers by providing resources and support for healthier, more secure lives. The organization is committed to expanding its efforts, driven by a passion for service and a vision of equitable healthcare for all.

Our Partners

Medford Quaker Meeting

Atlantic City Hyatt Wyndham

NJ Department of Health - Office of Rural Health

Leadership

Dr. Emma Cortes, DO

Founder & Director

Dr. Emma Cortes, DO, founder and director of the Migrant Health Collaborative South Jersey, is a physician in both primary care and emergency medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Sciences in Physics before earning her doctoral degree in New Jersey. She volunteered for three years with Migrant Worker Outreach, an organization which extended community resources to migrant workers in New Jersey and served on the executive board for 2 years. Her medical work focuses on global health, which has included work in Mexico, the Philippines, Nigeria and Uganda. She also practices emergency medicine on Native American Reservations in South Dakota and Arizona. She will begin the Global Emergency Medicine Fellowship with Brown University in 2024.

Bijan Roghanchi

Board Member & Volunteer Coordinator

Bijan Roghanchi is a rising fourth year student at the Rowan Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, NJ. A New Jersey native, before deciding to study medicine, he was a professional photographer, writer, and producer. He has produced dozens of major ad campaigns for leading national and international brands. His work includes several documentary photo-essays, including a major treatise on contemporary Iran, Becoming Iranian, released by Helden Press and Shirin Gallery in 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photography from New Jesey City University, as well as other degrees and certificates from universities in the US, France, Spain, and Iran. Currently, he is focused on the role of narrative building in community medicine and hopes to pursue a career as a family physician.

Your Contribution Can Make a Difference in Migrant Health