Implementing a Community Health Worker Evaluation Framework: Strategies from the Gulf Coast

In an effort to address the health disparate and disaster-prone populations in the region, the Center for Gulf Coast Health Research, Leadership and Strategic Initiatives partnered with 13 Gulf Coast federally qualified health centers and community based organizations to employ 21 community health workers (CHWs). Although CHWs have been used with increasing frequency for several years, a standardized framework for assessing their roles, training competencies and career opportunities is lacking. Limited  data exist that shed light on how successful programs operate, funding and staffing concerns, proper training, supervision and ongoing education. Lack of role clarity and the absence of standardized procedures for CHW selection, training and placement, as well as critical  support at the organizational level also affect program results.  This community-academic partnership recognized the opportunity to operationalize these needs by conducting site visits to all partner organizations. These visits included a series of semi-structured interviews and programmatic surveys with CHWs and their supervisors in an effort to provide technical assistance and create a robust evaluation strategy. The results will add to the evidence-base of critical building blocks of a successful CHW program and lessons learned for future initiatives.  The lead author will present how this process can be used to assist healthcare providers, community-based organizations and CHWs more effectively plan, manage and sustain their own CHW programs. Five CHWs and CHW supervisors will present their successes and challenges in implementing and evaluating CHW programs that address vulnerable coastal populations such as Vietnamese fisherfolk, rural/geographically isolated communities and uninsured musicians.