Immigration Reform & Public Health

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Immigration Reform and Public Health

Immigration reform is in the air once again - with President Obama saying the issue will be tackled next year. Join Health Dialogues as we look at what it's like for undocumented and seasonal workers to get health care under the current system, and how immigration reform could change things.

The Latest on Legislation

Host Scott Shafer gets an overview of upcoming legislation in Washington that relates to immigration reform. Guest: Dena Bunis, Washington bureau chief, Orange County Register.

Swine Flu Vaccination

Health Dialogues pays a visit to Napa's Clinic Ole, a community clinic serving the valley's large farming population, where an early H1N1 flu vaccination is available to people without health insurance.

• Flu Vaccinations for the Uninsured: See photos from Health Dialogues' trip to Clinic Ole, in Napa.

Undocumented and Afraid

A first-person account from a woman who hesitated to seek health care because of her immigration status. [Note: due to the personal nature of this story, the subject asked that we protect her identity.]

Can We Really Offer Health Care to Everyone?

Host Scott Shafer explores the practical and perceived hurdles in providing health care to everyone, including undocumented immigrants. Guest: David Hayes-Bautista, professor of medicine, and director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Guest: Gail Wilensky, senior fellow at Project HOPE, an international health education foundation.

• Immigrant Health Data: View our interactive charts exploring health access statistics for immigrants, based on how long they have been in the United States. According to the data, immigrants who have been here for more than twenty years are most likely to see a doctor, yet are least likely to have a usual source for health care.

Health Care for Farm Workers

Host Scott Shafer digs deeper into the issue of providing health care for California's farm workers. Guest: Joel Diringer, health policy expert and author of a new report, "Health Care For California's Farm Workers".

• More: "Health Care for California's Farm Workers"[PDF]

Ventanillas de Salud

Take a trip to the Mexican Consulate in Fresno, where a health outreach program run by the Mexican government serves Spanish-speaking immigrants in this country.

Reporter: Zaidee Stavely