The Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education (SW Ag Center) was created in late 1995 at The University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center to serve Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas as part of a program initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The initiative established a network of centers, funded on a competitive basis, to conduct programs of research, prevention, intervention, education and outreach designed to reduce occupational injuries and diseases among agricultural workers and their families.