Feature Story
Health Center Today, January 8, 2010
Dr. Marcia Trapé Farm Worker Health Memorial Fund Has Been Established to Help Migrant Workers
By Carolyn Pennington
Dr. Marcia Trapé-Cardoso (first row, second from right) with migrant farm workers.
A memorial fund to help migrant farm workers has been established in the name of Dr. Marcia Trapé-Cardoso, an associate professor of medicine at the Health Center who passed away in September of last year.
The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health (ConnectiCOSH) is setting up the Marcia Trapé Farm Worker Health Memorial Fund to continue to serve the farm worker community. Donations will be directly used to provide health and safety equipment to farm workers during health fairs.
"The donations provided by this fund will allow us to purchase health and safety equipment (e.g., ear plugs, sunscreen, and first aid supplies), and other items (e.g., phone cards) that are not directly covered by our grants and other projects,” says Michael C. Fitts, executive director of ConnectiCOSH. “These items will greatly improve the health and quality of life for workers in Connecticut."
“We will be forever grateful to Dr. Trapé for inspiring so many students, public health professionals, and community advocates to care and work on farm worker health,” says Dr. John Meyer, Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “She was always an advocate for the less fortunate and a believer in just causes.” Meyer says Trapé volunteered her time working with ConnectiCOSH and other community groups on migrant and seasonal farm worker issues, including clinics for farm workers. She also coordinated several grants looking at agricultural problems such as tobacco-related illness, musculoskeletal health, and solving many other occupational injury and illness problems.
Trapé served on the board of directors of ConnectiCOSH and in May of 2009, ConnectiCOSH awarded her the Irving Selikoff Award for her work with migrant workers. She was also honored posthumously with the Moore Medical Scholarship of the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, for her devotion to occupational safety and health beyond the boundaries of her position at the Health Center.
Trapé joined the Health Center in 1992, as the medical director of the Employee Health Service. She achieved national recognition in the field of employee health with a focus on work-related exposures to health care workers. As an occupational physician, Trapé played an active role in training medical students and residents in occupational medicine. She conducted research and training on needle sticks and blood borne pathogen issues, latex allergies, and the control of tuberculosis. She wrote many scientific articles and conducted conference presentations.
For more information about the memorial fund, contact ConnectiCOSH at 860-953-2674 or mail your donation to ConnectiCOSH Health Technical Committee, 683 North Mountain Road, Newington, CT 06111. Contributions are tax deductible.