Community Health Workers As Essential Partners To Promote Health Equity Lisa Renee Holderby Director, Health Equity Community Catalyst November 12, 2010

Community Catalyst, Inc. 30 Winter Street, 10th Fl. Boston, MA Fax: Presented by: Lisa Renee Holderby Electronic copies of this presentation are available by calling Organizations seeking to distribute or otherwise make widespread use of this publication are asked to notify Community Catalyst. Community Catalyst is a national non-profit advocacy organization that works with national, state and local consumer organizations, policymakers and foundations to build consumer and community leadership to improve the health care system. We support consumer advocacy networks that impact state and federal health care policy, and ensure consumers have a seat at the table as health care decisions are made. © Community Catalyst 2010 About Community Catalyst

Who Are Community Health Workers (CHWs)? © Community Catalyst 2010 What makes me different from the people I work with, my colleagues? I am who I serve. CHW from Springfield, MA

© Community Catalyst 2010

Community Health Workers frontline public health worker trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community she/he serves liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community facilitate access builds health knowledge in communities and individuals

© Community Catalyst 2010 CHWs included in the ACA

Community Health Workers in Primary Care and Prevention © Community Catalyst 2010 We are meeting people where they are, just like a taxi, you know. We pick you up where you are and take you where you want to go. CHW from Boston, MA

© Community Catalyst 2010 Increase Access to Care Health insurance enrollment Link communities to primary care Increase the use of preventative care Provide assistance to navigate the health care system

© Community Catalyst 2010 Improving Quality Improve communication between providers and patients Enhance culturally appropriate services Provide ongoing chronic disease self management skills Enhance patient satisfaction with health care and support service providers

© Community Catalyst 2010 Promoting Health Equity Improve health outcomes for vulnerable and underserved populations Address social determinants of health Assist communities to organize to address root causes of health inequities

Supporting Community Health Workers © Community Catalyst 2010

How Can You Support CHWs? Advocate for CHWs to be integrated into health care and human service teams and incorporated into newly created medical homes Seek sustainable funding for CHW programs and initiatives Encourage all funders and employers to adopt the community health worker term Support CHW organizations and CHW leadership development

© Community Catalyst 2010 Community Health Workers in Massachusetts Improving Health Care and Public Health Report of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Community Health Worker Advisory Council Deval Patrick, Governor JudyAnn Bigby, MD, Secretary of Health and Human Services John Auerbach, Commissioner of Public Health December, 2009

Questions? © Community Catalyst 2010 Lisa Renee Holderby Director, Health Equity Community Catalyst November 12, 2010 Community health Workers As essential Partners to Promote Health Equity