Farming community invited to free health checkup and health seminars

Farming community invited to free health checkup and health seminars

Farming community invited to free health checkup and health seminars


8/13/2026

Kuan-Ju Chen, an agricultural economist with UOG Land Grant
Kuan-Ju Chen, an agricultural economist with UOG Land Grant and director of the UOG Farmer Focus program, presents at a farmer health seminar in August 2025 at the Sinajana Mayor’s Office.

The agricultural community is invited to take part in a free health checkup hosted by the Farmer Focus Project under University of Guam Land Grant in collaboration with the Guam Community Health Centers. The checkup event will be followed in subsequent days by free health seminars in three villages addressing mental well-being, falls and injury prevention, substance abuse prevention, and financial sustainability as a farmer.

Health Checkups

As part of the health check-ups, clinical staff from GCHC will be conducting:

  • biometric screenings for blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, and nutrition;
  • muscle strength assessments; and
  • depression assessments.

Download the Health Checkups event flyer

Building Healthy Farmers & Resilient Communities Health Seminars

  • 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, Mangilao Community Center
  • 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, Barrigada Mayor’s Office
  • 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, Inalåhan Community Center
  • Registration link: https://url.uog.edu/farmer-health-seminars

Attendees at the seminars will hear from multiple presenters:

  • An Overview of the Guam Community Health Centers
    Shermalin Pineda, CEO, Guam Community Health Center
  • Financial Sustainability for Farms
    Kuan-Ju Chen, Ph.D., Agricultural Economist, UOG Land Grant
    Katherine Perez, Extension Associate, UOG Land Grant
  • Safety on the Farm: Tips to Prevent Falls and Injuries
    Cecilia Pangelinan, Extension Associate, UOG Land Grant
  • Community Helper Training for Mental Well-Being
    Rita Sharma, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, UOG College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
  • How to Get Natural Highs: Storytelling for Empowerment
    Hannah Mendiola, Program Coordinator, GALA Inc.

Download the Health Seminar event flyer

For more information, contact Cecilia Pangelinan at pangelinanc13962@triton.uog.edu.

About University of Guam Land Grant
The University of Guam Land Grant system provides instruction, research, and community outreach specific to agriculture, food, natural resources, nutrition, and consumer science in order to improve life in Guam and Micronesia. Its two Land Grant units include the agInnovation Research Center and the UOG Extension Service, which operate within the College of Natural & Applied Sciences. The University of Guam was designated an “1862 Land Grant University” in 1972 and is part of a network of 106 Land Grant institutions nationwide supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

About the Farmer Focus Project
The Farmer Focus Project is an initiative under the University of Guam Land Grant Extension Service. Farmer Focus is an extension of the Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Program, which is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of farmers and agriculture workers across the nation. The program is working to destigmatize mental health discussions within the agriculture sector and to help the agriculture community improve their physical, social, and emotional health.