Targeting difficult to engage populations through a community health worker model

ABSTRACT

The design and implementation of a Community Health Worker model in a Rhode Island Medicaid only Health plan

Rhode Island is a state that recognizes the impact of cultural beliefs and linguistic challenges that their communities face with accessing high quality healthcare and maintaining and sustaining wellness. The Affordable Care Act notes that the Community Health Worker (CHW) role will be pivotal for educating, guiding and providing outreach in communities that have set priorities for improving health outcomes. A Medicaid only Health plan in Rhode Island also recognized the need for community liaisons for providing education and coordination of care to improve the health needs of the populations they serve. This said, the Community Outreach Specialist (COS) role was created to be front line support in carrying out the mission and vision of the Medicaid only health plan which is centered on meeting the needs of its membership through outreach in the community as well as innovative evidence based interventions. The development and implementation of the CHW/COS model at the health plan involved a pioneering approach that included internal and external education along with cultural and linguistic methodologies. The presentation will highlight the development and implementation of CHW model at a Medicaid only health plan using an enhanced community based participatory research (CBPR) approach for reaching difficult to engage populations.