Community Health Plan of Washington’s Post

Ask Sarah Arthur of Novant Health to pinpoint one example of how the system's community health workers have transformed the lives of local patients, and it proves to be a surprisingly tricky task. "To be honest," said Arthur, director of community health, "there are just so many stories to tell." Take, for instance, the patient who connected with a community health worker (CHW) after a visit to the emergency department. A Mexican native and domestic violence survivor, she fled her home country to escape her abuser. The CHW assigned to her case recognized that, as a victim of a violent crime, she was eligible for a visa and supported her through the process of securing one. Then there are the expectant mothers whose lives — and the lives of their unborn babies — have been saved through community health workers' efforts to address food insecurities, as well as anxiety and depression disorders that often affect high-risk maternal populations. Add to that the hundreds of patients with diabetes, heart failure and COPD who, thanks to CHW interventions, now have access to life-changing resources, and it's easy to see why there's no single example that encapsulates the significance of the work that's occurring. Since the formal launch of its Community Health Worker program in 2019, Novant Health — a not-for-profit system that consists of nearly 800 locations, 19 hospitals and more than 1,900 physicians and 36,000 team members across the Carolinas — has strived to close healthcare disparities by removing barriers to care and helping patients navigate the many challenges that affect their wellbeing. Arthur and her colleague Kimberly Dull, director of performance, community health and social determinants of health, detailed the successes and challenges of Novant Health's program as part of a recent Vizient, Inc. Diversity, Health Equity and Inclusion (DHEI) Network webinar titled "Community Health Worker Models to Improve Health Equity." In 2022, Novant Health served more than 1,200 patients through its Community Health Worker program and enabled more than 5,700 connections to community resources that aided in access to care. Hear more from Arthur and Dull about some of the major considerations for healthcare organizations who want to launch or expand a community health workers program. https://lnkd.in/dPWhiShd

"Community health workers can create long-lasting trust between people and the #publichealth system that serves them. Amid the misinformation and distrust that erupted during #covidー19, community health workers were something of an antidote. Further investments in #communityhealth could help combat fear and mistrust that are increasingly common in public health and primary #healthcare." -- Chen Chen, Tom Frieden, & Krishna Jafa, #ThinkGlobalHealth We need #CHW to empathize, encourage, and teach the public about their health care options. And, we need to compensate them fairly for their hard and necessary work—especially the women who too often are not paid at all. #womenshealth #globalhealth  #genderequity #payequity https://lnkd.in/gnhMqXf8

This…bottom line: HCs save the system and taxpayers BILLIONS by lowering the cost of care, avoiding costly ER visits and managing chronic illness. That, along with bipartisan support - added investment and LONG TERM, sustainable funding is not just wise but paramount. Let’s get this done! Shout out to the Yuvo Health team for the wisdom and testament to what needs to be done. #leadership #healthequity #chcs #fqhc

Technology Enabled Care Will Be A Priority In 2024 By Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access Health, Support and Care The demand for care services continues to rise. Budgets are tighter, staffing levels are difficult to maintain, and services are under greater scrutiny, and yet the health and care journey largely remains a disjointed, analogue process, with unnecessary administration and repetition. However, the journey that individuals embark upon when receiving care, whether in their home or in a residential setting is often a largely disjointed, analogue process, with unnecessary admin-heavy elements. The key issues social care has been facing are capacity, cost, and complexity. None of these issues will be fixed by funding alone and staffing issues in the care sector are an ongoing issue, made even more challenging by the increased demand for services. Using technology is proven to help mitigate these issues. However, there are still some social care providers with very little technology in place, with a lot of processes being managed and recorded on paper. Looking forward to 2024, there are many opportunities to innovate across the care pathway, from streamlining commissioning, to predictive in-home monitoring and producing personalised care plans for individuals. All of these changes will help to provide more person centred care. We’re seeing it happen already, but I’m hopeful that this year is where we will see it scale. The vast and often untapped potential of integrated technologies in the social care system, if realised, will all help to provide more person-centred care and free up time for staff to spend where it is most needed. The care continuum However, the most important step to take is to consider the whole care continuum and the ever changing needs of the individual. Care is not linear, and all parties involved in caring for an individual should be given the tools to work in a joined up way. This view is person-centred, recognising that an individual may need to access support at different points of the care pathway at the same time. A person could be engaging in self-care to manage one part of their health and wellbeing, but receiving community care for another issue. The instances provide multiple opportunities to deliver interconnected, seamless interactions which provide the visibility to understand, prevent and intervene to improve individual outcomes, avoiding or slowing a persons decline. This creates capacity in the system and reduces cost. There are already examples of this happening. The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution has made it possible for individuals living with dementia to live more independently in their care homes, by creating personalised dementia plans with Access Care Planning software. This has made it possible for their staff to better understand what interventions are working best for each individual, and their plan can continue to be shaped to suit their needs. But 2024 is the year I hop…

💡 Insightful article highlighting the importance of adequately funding Community Health Centers — the high quality clinical services that improve the U.S. healthcare landscape. “While CHCs are rooted in high-need communities, the impact of their care ripples outward to everyone. CHCs are responsible for generating nearly $85 billion in broad economic benefits annually, including more than half a million high-quality jobs, and are instrumental in controlling spiraling national healthcare costs.” #chcs #fqhcs #valuebasedcare

One of my articles has been published in today's edition of The Daily Star. The piece is titled "Community Health Care Providers: Our Unsung Health Heroes." If you have the time, please take a moment to read it: https://lnkd.in/gHR5AHAH

Community health assessments (CHAs)/community health needs assessments (CHNAs) are an integral part of public health practice and are conducted regularly on behalf of communities across the US. Yet, while there are many examples of joint CHAs/CHNAs between Nonprofit Hospitals (NPHs) and Local Health Departments (LHDs)/State Health Agencies (SHAs) across the country, too many assessments are conducted with minimal involvement from their organizational counterparts, particularly among NPHs conducting CHNAs. Henry Stabler, PhD, MPH, at the Center for Public Health Systems, explains why NPHs are not involving LHDs/SHAs in their CHNAs. Check out his new post here: https://wp.me/p7l72S-9tM

Historical perspective of Primary Health Care. The history of community Health can be traced back to late 1800’s in Russia, Feldshers who were trained as paramedics based majorly in rural areas where physicians were not present. However, unlike the Barefoot Doctors in China in 1920’s, Feldshers were literate and had a three-year formal training and authorized by the state to provide primary health care (PHC) services in the rural villages. The first documented large pool of CHW program was in 1920’s Ding Xian, China. Illiterate farmers  were taken through a three-month training course to record births and deaths, vaccinate against smallpox and other diseases, give first aid and health education talks, and help communities keep their wells clean. A growing crisis on skilled health care workers to serve the needs of rural and poor populations in the developing countries became apparent in 1960’s. This necessitated the need to explore an alternative and the concept of the Barefoot Doctors gained traction around the world serving as a guiding concept for early CHW programs in many countries including India, Tanzania, Indonesia, Venezuela, and Honduras. In 1975 WHO published a book Health by the People which was largely influenced by the Christian Medical Commission(CMC). The book was very instrumental in providing the intellectual premise for the International Conference on Primary Health Care at Alma-Ata, in 1978, which resulted in the famous Alma-Ata Declaration calling for achievement of “Health for All” by the year 2000 through PHC. This global recognition of the importance of community workers in the delivery of primary health care, marks the birth of the new approach to health care services delivery which has gradually been incorporated to the health care system in different countries to a varying degree.--------------- The aforementioned is meant to give a background and context as an invitation to some key pertinent questions. 1. With the increased focus in community health as key enabler to deliver UHC, is it time we equally focus on transitioning to a professionally driven community health service. 2. In addition to the link health facilities, should we consider expanding linkage by mapping duly licensed community pharmacies /chemists? 3. Is it time to review the community health assistant training program and scheme of service. 4. What lessons can be drawn from CUBAN health model, "family doctor and nurse". To reap the benefits of community health, policy makers need to think beyond implementation of 1920’s concept and instead develop a roadmap to transition community health services to professionals. 

Papa Launches Programs To Address Health-Related Social Needs, Improve Star Ratings – MedCity News - MedCity News #Papa Launches Programs to Address Health-Related Social Needs, Improve Star Ratings Papa, a healthcare technology company, has introduced new programs to tackle health-related social needs and enhance star ratings. The company aims to improve the overall well-being of its members by addressing social determinants of health. These programs include #PapaPals, #PapaCare, and #PapaHealth. ##PapaPals: Addressing Loneliness and Social Isolation PapaPals is a program that connects older adults with companions who provide assistance and companionship. The program aims to combat loneliness and social isolation, which are known to have negative impacts on health outcomes. PapaPals offer services such as transportation, grocery shopping, and ai.mediformatica.com #health #papa #healthplans #medcity #news #this #sdoh #cmsstarratings #companion #medicare #socialcare #companioncare #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/486AaQR)

Mobile treatment services are revolutionizing healthcare accessibility, reaching individuals who may have otherwise faced barriers to receiving vital care. This groundbreaking approach is making a significant impact in Baltimore, improving the lives of many. 🔍✨ Community health organizations can now expand their reach and provide essential services on the go by collaborating with our #MobileTreatment team. This article showcases how these services are changing the game, empowering healthcare professionals to bring their expertise directly to those in need. 🚀💙 💡 Together, we can create a healthier and happier Baltimore! 🌇🏥 https://lnkd.in/ghmijqPk #MobileTreatmentServices #CommunityHealth #barrierstocare #personcenteredcare #mentalhealth #HealthcareAccessibility #Innovation #BaltimoreStrong #TransformingLives #accesstocare #Baltimore #Maryland #marylandjobs #marylandresouces #communitybuilding #traumainformedcare #communityaction #Marylandrecovery #recoverycenterofmaryland #treatmentcenter #treatmentoptions #treatmentplanning