Workforce Development News and Updates
How Community Health Workers can be a Cost-Effective Strategy to Reducing Emergency Department Use
Frequent use of Emergency Departments (ED) by super-utilizers - account for between 21% to 28% of all ED visits.1 Super-Utilizers, may lean on emergency departments due to lack of health insurance, financial limitations, or lack of knowledge of available healthcare options. As health care systems work to reduce the use of emergency departments for non-emergencies, one strategy that has proven to be effective is the integration of Community Health Worker (CHW)s.
Blog Topics
How Community Health Workers can be a Cost-Effective Strategy to Reducing Emergency Department Use
Frequent use of Emergency Departments (ED) by super-utilizers - account for between 21% to 28% of all ED visits.1 Super-Utilizers, may lean on emergency departments due to lack of health insurance, financial limitations, or lack of knowledge of available healthcare options. As health care systems work to reduce the use of emergency departments for non-emergencies, one strategy that has proven to be effective is the integration of Community Health Worker (CHW)s.
A Journey from CHW to Dietitian/Nutritionist
Each month, we will highlight the journey of individuals' professional development into roles within and outside of the CHW profession. The first story is about Maria's journey from CHW to dietitian/nutritionist. The second features Carlos, who also became a dietitian/nutritionist, but unlike Maria, he did not start out as a CHW. This story is included to illustrate how the CHW profession builds skillsets that are desirable across industries. It is also included to illustrate the key differences between the CHW profession and other careers in related fields.
A Journey from CHW to CHW Supervisor
Aaron worked as a CHW at a small non-profit that focused on providing preventative oral care. His role included duties like outreach, health education, and cultural facilitation between patients and dentists. He had also naturally started leading his team and trained all incoming CHWs.
