197450 How Can I Help You? Eligibility Worker: Navigating Patients Through the Social Services Maze

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Claire Ankuda , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Bennett Kelmendi , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Phillip Lam , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Amy Odefey , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Mimi Ogawa , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Chase Petersen , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Emily Schonberg , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Jon Bourgo , Community Health Center of Burlington, Burlington, VT
Rodger Kessler , General Internal Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Jan K. Carney, MD MPH , Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Introduction. The Community Health Center of Burlington is a healthcare facility for community members regardless of their ability to pay. This study was designed to explore the potential benefits of employing an Eligibility Worker (EW) at the CHC of Burlington. An EW has two primary roles: first, to inform clients of social service programs for which they may be eligible and second, to help them apply for such programs.

Methods. For this study, we interviewed 51 patients at the CHC to assess eligibility and likelihood of enrollment in social services with and without the help of an EW.

Results. Of patients interviewed, 27% were unaware of their eligibility and interested in applying for at least one of the programs mentioned during the interview. Furthermore, 39% of interviewees reported that having the help of an EW would increase their likelihood of enrolling in at least one program.

Discussion. Future studies would investigate how an eligibility worker could be employed at the CHC most effectively and whether such a model can be expanded to apply to disadvantaged community members who are not CHC patients. Future analysis can also focus on particular CHC patients who are eligible and not yet enrolled in a larger variety of social services.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the roles of an eligibility worker in a health care setting 2. Evaluate the eligibility of patients for social services programs 3. Explain how an eligibility worker model could be expanded to other community settings

Keywords: Access and Services, Community Health Centers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Involved in all aspects of project: design and implementation, analysis, and/or interpretation, review and presentation as a poster.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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