331124
Hiring and training CHWs across multiple health systems
Community Health Workers (CHW) have been shown to improve asthma management and control among children in underserved populations. The Coordinated Healthcare Interventions for Childhood Asthma Gaps in Outcomes (CHICAGO) Trial is a 3-arm multicenter pragmatic trial to evaluate interventions to improve pediatric asthma management in inner city Chicago children. The CHICAGO Trial integrates the CHW model into six different healthcare systems, the majority of which did not previously have a CHW workforce. This presentation, conducted by the program coordinator and senior CHW, will discuss a centralized, collaborative process for hiring and training CHWs across partnering institutions.
methods
In October 2014, six CHW position openings were publicized in communities served by partnering institutions. Interested candidates were encouraged to attend a two-day CHICAGO Trial informational session/asthma training, led by the project’s CHW Coordinating Center (CHW CC). Sixteen individuals attended the workshop, and eleven applied for the CHW positions. Applicants indicated their preferred institution, and were interviewed by a committee of CHW CC members and institution-specific staff. Hiring decisions were made by the institution, considering CHW CC recommendations. Once hired, CHWs for all six institutions underwent a common asthma and CHW core skills training facilitated by the CHW CC.
results
Despite challenges associated with institution-specific barriers (e.g., distinct HR requirements), we successfully developed a unique, collaborative process for recruiting, hiring and training CHWs across health systems.
conclusions
As the CHW model continues to expand into healthcare settings, it is critical to provide a replicable framework for successfully recruiting, hiring and training CHWs across health systems.
Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and preventionImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Public health or related research
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health
Learning Objectives:
Describe a framework for hiring and training CHWs across multiple health systems.
Define the role of a CHW Coordinating Center in hiring and training CHWs across multiple health systems.
Keyword(s): Community Health Workers and Promoters, Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Over the past five years, I have been the Project Coordinator/CHW Trainer on several grant-funded CHW asthma intervention projects, and am currently the CHW Intervention Director/CHW Trainer for the project discussed in this abstract, the CHICAGO Trial. On each of these projects I have led the CHW recruitment, hiring and training process. I am a certified Asthma Educator and have several years of experience creating health education curricula and facilitating trainings.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
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.