141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

286801
Transformation from the outside in: How CHWs are being integrated into Oregon's coordinated care organizations

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 11:30 AM - 11:50 AM

Elizabeth Fussell , Oregon Latino Health Coalition/Oregon Community Health Worker Association, Portland, OR
Teresa Rios-Campos, CHW , Community Capacitation Center, Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, OR
Noelle Wiggins, EdD, MSPH , Community Capacitation Center, Multnomah County Health Department, Portland, OR
Oregon has long been a leader in health care reform and the CHW field. Currently, Oregon is leading another phase of health care innovation; Senate Bill 3650, passed in 2011, laid the groundwork for the establishment of Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) throughout the state, and highlighted the role of CHWs within these CCOs. These CCOs bring together most major health system players within their particular region and currently serve the Medicaid population. Integrating CHWs into the CCOs presents many opportunities and challenges. Some CHW roles, such as patient navigation, are many times better understood and valued by mainstream health systems, than other roles, such as strengthening social support networks, and advocacy. The Oregon Community Health Worker Association (ORCHWA), the Multnomah County Health Department's Community Capacitation Center (long-time trainer of CHWs in Oregon), the Oregon Latino Health Coalition, and other community-based organizations are working with local CCO representatives to inform how CCOs can best integrate CHWs and work in collaboration with existing CHW programs.

In this presentation, members of ORCHWA will share their experience working with different CCOs throughout Oregon and present the different ways in which CHWs have been successfully integrated (or not) into the work of the regional CCOs.

Learning Areas:
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Discuss ways in which Oregon CHWs have been able to influence CCO’s conceptualization and value of CHWs. Compare the CHW roles, structure, and anticipated impacts on health outcomes of the different models of CHW programs presented. Assess the different effects that Medicaid reimbursement has had for CHWs and CHW programs in Oregon

Keywords: Health Care Workers, Health Care Reform

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the coordinator of ORCHWA.
Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
Oregon Community Health Worker Association Coordinator Employment (includes retainer)

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.