CHW HeART: South Carolina's Medicaid Response to Bridging Health and Geographical Disparities with Community Health Workers

There is a growing body of evidence that community health workers play a key role in enhancing access to health care services and increasing community capacity.   In February 2012, South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) created the Health Access at the Right Time (HeART) committee consisting of 50 stakeholders statewide ranging from state agencies, providers and community stakeholders with an interest in achieving improved population health outcomes. The initiative responds to Medicaid geographical hotspots within diverse communities in South Carolina.  The CHWs program is designed to provide patient connected to primary care practices.  It currently serves 14 geographically and medically diverse communities with approximately 75,000 Medicaid recipients. Presenters will share the value of forming a committee of external stakeholders, including CHWs, to develop policies, procedures and discussions around advocating for and furthering the role of a CHW within a Medicaid reimbursable model.

The collaborative approach has fostered a focus on the scope of service for CHWs, policy guidelines, creation of the SCDHHS CHW program and discussion of placing CHWs in different care delivery models. These meetings focus on data interpretation, community engagement, training and support of CHW’s and their primary care practices.  Lastly, the committee has been involved in the development of quality tools to enhance outcomes and guide statewide expansion.