Community health workers participation in the training of family medicine residents

Community health workers play an important role in the training of residents in Family Medicine at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital.

Through two separate grants for interdisciplinary care, one of homebound elderly patients and the other of people with diabetes, chw's are working to improve the health and quality of life of people in the South and Central Bronx.

This work is done in close co-ordination with these patients' medical providers, most of whom are residents in the Department of Family Medicine. CHW's and providers meet in case conferences to discuss the needs of individual patients. In these sessions, chw's bring to providers' attention many of the cultural and economic realities affecting their patients' lives.

Chw's also participate in seminars with residents led by leaders of the CHW Network of NYC. They are encouraged to understand and build on their role as teachers of physicians in addition to their other important roles as chw's.

This program enhances the practice of both physicians-in-training and chw's:

-As future practicing physicians, residents learn the importance of understanding the community context of their patients' lives (a natural extension of family medicine's emphasis on understanding family context). They also learn the value of working with chw's in both patient care and community public health initiatives.

-Community health workers develop new insights and skills through the interaction. They also develop confidence in themselves as leaders and teachers through their role as trainers of physicians.