Supporting and Sustaining CHWs on Healthcare Delivery Teams: Approaches from four leading CHW programs

CHWs bring tremendous value to improving health outcomes, patient experience, and equity while reducing unnecessary healthcare utilization and costs. CHWs enhance the capacity of health systems to tailor interventions, particularly for the most vulnerable patients and communities.  As CHWs play increasing roles in health delivery settings, we are still learning how to best integrate, sustain and support them. We propose a 90-minute panel discussion to examine best practices and explore ways to support and sustain CHWs on healthcare teams.  Program leaders and CHWs from four leading CHW programs will co-present:

• LA County Care Connections Program – primary care-integrated, care management program that addresses the needs of LA’s highest risk primary care patients
• Sinai Urban Health Institute – the research arm of a safety-net community hospital that has employed CHWs to address widening racial/ethnic disparities in health for a number of chronic diseases
• Tumaini for Health, Sisters Together And Reaching, Inc. – community-based program that partners with Johns Hopkins to address the needs of patients residing in low-income neighborhoods in East Baltimore
• The PACT Project – community-based program that partners with Boston area HIV providers to address the needs of high risk AIDS patients

We will address the following questions through brief presentations followed by an interactive, moderated discussion:

1. How are CHWs integrated into the existing healthcare delivery system? What are their key roles and responsibilities?
2. What approaches do your program use to optimize integration and support and sustain your CHWs?  What approaches do your CHWs use?  What approaches are effective/ineffective?