Role of CHWs as Community Change Agents

The past decade has seen health systems increasingly turning to Community Health Workers in clinical settings: as liaisons between providers and community members, facilitating access to services, and improving both quality and cultural competence of service delivery. This trend is likely to accelerate with the implementation of the Accountable Care Act, and increasing funding for clinical services delivered by CHWs. One unintended consequence may be a reduction in the use of CHWs as community advocates addressing social determinants of health. The primary aim of the Block-by-Block CBPR study is to learn if CHWs (called “Diabetes Block Captains”) can deliver a multi-level intervention including individual self-management training and community organzing around nutrition and physical activity that will result in improvements in diabetes control over a one year period (as measured by reduction of mean community Hemoglobin A1c). In this presentation, CHWs and staff from Block-by-Block will discuss the range of strategies used to improve the health of the Humboldt Park community outside of the medical care system, how these interventions are documented, and how impact is measured.