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
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.
CHW Professional Development: A Journey from CHW to Eligibility Specialist
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 Marco's journey from CHW to Eligibility Specialist. The second features Ricardo, who also became an Eligibility Specialist, but unlike Marco, 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.
CHW Professional Development: A Journey from CHW to Registered Nurse
The first story is about Emilia's journey from CHW to Certified Nursing Assistant and the second about Vanessa's journey from CHW to Registered Nurse. The third story features Dante, who also became a Registered Nurse, but unlike Emilia and Vanessa, 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.
