[Editor’s Note: Happy Birthday, Migrant Clinicians Network! To celebrate our 30th anniversary this month, we are highlighting one clinician each day who has been honored in 30 Clinicians Making a Difference [2], in which we profile the work of 30 diverse migrant clinicians from across the country and abroad.]
As we close out our Anniversary month by highlighting our last clinician from 30 Clinicians Making a Difference, we reflect back on our family of clinicians to ask: What motivated them to start working in migrant health? For many, the call to service came at a young age, from growing up among agricultural workers and seeing the health disparities firsthand. For others, though, it was not a calling -- it was perceived as a short-term stepping stone. Yet, those clinicians didn’t end up leaving. It was the fulfilling, mission-driven work, and the accepting and thankful community, that kept them there.
Tammy Blackman, RTR, was one of these clinicians. When she accepted a job as a radiologic technician for Commwell Health in North Carolina, she believed she would move on in a few years. Yet, almost 30 years later, Blackman is still hard at work serving the same patient population at the same community health center where she began. Similar stories are found in the profiles of John McFarland, DDS [3], and Mark Koday, DDS [4].
While the factors that led these clinicians to their service vary, one measure stays constant: their dedication to their communities, located across the country and around the world. Congratulations again to all 30 of our honored clinicians, and thank you for your years of service to the mobile poor. Here’s to many more years!
Read Tammy Blackman’s profile here [5].
Help us honor the work of Tammy Blackman by sharing her profile. And, make sure to check out the profiles of all 30 clinicians at the 30 Clinicians Making a Difference webpage [6].
Like our work? Consider making a donation [7] to MCN to celebrate our 30th anniversary.