Agricultural Medicine Education, the AgriSafe Network, and the Certified Safe Farm: A U.S. model providing structure and service for occupational health in agriculture

Health Care providers education in occupational health are in short supply in most rural areas worldwide.  Consequently, most rural areas lack basic occupational health services and surveillance for farmers. This paper describes a model program in the U.S set out to reverse this condition.  The model involves developing, integrating and deploying a program comprised of three projects (an occupational health service for farmers [the AgriSafe Network], an Agricultural Medicine education program, and a comprehensive farmer health prevention intervention [the Certified Safe Farm – CSF].   The AgriSafe Program incorporates occupational health and wellness screening, farmer health education and on-farm audits to remove safety and health hazards.  An Agricultural Medicine Education program was developed to prepare health care providers to recognize, treat and prevent occupational health problems. Finally, a comprehensive and multifactorial intervention program was developed (CSF). These programs run contiguous to prepare providers and structure to provide occupational health service and surveillance for farmers The AgriSafe Network has evolved to a new independent non-profit organization, with members located in 17 states in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.  The Agricultural Medicine Training program that prepares the health care providers to serve as AgriSafe Providers, has trained over 500 health professionals, from 26 different states, and 9 different countries. The program also includes a graduate certificate in Agricultural Medicine, an MS, and PhD.  The CSF Program has proven successful in increased use of personal protective equipment, lower rates of respiratory disease, lower rates of severe injuries, and up to a 47% savings on health care costs for occupational injuries and illnesses. This model discussed above is the first comprehensive program designed to educate health care providers to deliver comprehensive occupational health to farmers.  The program has been scientifically evaluated.  A new programs, “Building Capacity”, is designed to export the program to other countries.