Today the Penn Center for Community Health Workers (CHWs) has a staff of 40 employees that are fully supported by the Penn Medicine Health System. Most employees are CHWs and collectively they provide support to 1,500 vulnerable, high-risk patients in West and Southwest Philadelphia. But five years ago the Center was just an idea. It began as a collaboration between the … [Read more...] about Empowering Clients through Listening: The Impact of Penn Center CHWs
Who’s In Charge Here? Governing Large-Scale Community Health Worker Programs
This is the fourth chapter of the CHW Reference Guide, produced under the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program, the United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Global Health’s flagship maternal, neonatal and child health project. “Who’s in charge here?” can be a hard question for CHW programs to answer, particularly those that operate on … [Read more...] about Who’s In Charge Here? Governing Large-Scale Community Health Worker Programs
Chapter 3: National Planning for CHW Programs
The CHW Reference Guide was produced under the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program, the United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Global Health’s flagship maternal, neonatal and child health project. The overview provided in Chapter 3 National Planning for Community Health Worker Programs (Gergen, Perry and Crigler) closely mirrors my … [Read more...] about Chapter 3: National Planning for CHW Programs
Community Health Worker Models in Evolving State Health Care Systems
This blog was originally posted on the State Refor(u)m website. Community health workers (CHWs) are often employed to improve health equity, cultural competency, health literacy and access to care, among other issues. Because they have such varied roles, there are many definitions of CHWs; however, they are commonly identified by their in-depth understanding of the … [Read more...] about Community Health Worker Models in Evolving State Health Care Systems
Can CHWs address access and outcome measurement challenges in surgical care? Experience from Haiti
An April 2015 study from the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery1 reveals that five billion people, as many as nine of ten individuals in low and middle-income countries, lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. This affects the poor, marginalized, and rural populations who have limited funds, long distances to care and poor travel infrastructure. If they do reach … [Read more...] about Can CHWs address access and outcome measurement challenges in surgical care? Experience from Haiti