/ en Sat, 03 May 2025 01:39:48 -0500 Thu, 23 Jan 25 15:07:08 -0600 /news/headline/2025-01-23-coalition-extends-deadline-apply-grants-supporting-community-health-workers <p>The Common Health Coalition today <a href="https://commonhealthcoalition.org/challenge/#nominate" title="grant deadline">announced</a> it has extended the deadline to Feb. 3 to apply for the Common Health Challenge Catalyst Award program grant. Each of 10 recipients will be awarded a $30,000 grant for efforts integrating community health workers to strengthen partnerships between health care and public health organizations across communities. The AHA is a founding member of the Coalition.</p> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 15:07:08 -0600 Community Health Workers /news/headline/2024-12-09-aha-discusses-importance-community-health-workers <p>The AHA highlighted the importance of community health workers during the Common Health Coalition鈥檚 inaugural <a href="https://commonhealthcoalition.org/event/the-common-health-challenge-community-health-workers-catalysts-for-a-reimagined-health-system/" target="_blank">Common Health Challenge</a> held Dec. 9.<br> <br>鈥淐ommunity health workers play a vital role within many hospitals and health systems, serving as important connectors between providers and communities that have been underserved,鈥� said Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer. 鈥淏y increasing collaboration and communication throughout the health care system, community health workers are expanding and bridging access to care, supporting patient outcomes, and increasing cultural competence and health knowledge.鈥� <br> <br>The AHA, along with AHIP, the Alliance of Community Health Plans, the American Medical Association, and Kaiser Permanente, is a founding partner of the Coalition, which was established last year to strengthen partnerships between health care and public health.</p> Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:07:00 -0600 Community Health Workers /news/headline/2024-05-15-aha-podcast-training-community-health-workers-improve-health-equity <p>Experts from New York鈥檚 Montefiore Medical Center share how its Community Health Worker Institute standardizes training for community health workers to help them serve effectively as a vital bridge between social and clinical care. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2024-05-15-training-community-health-workers-improve-health-equity"><strong>LISTEN NOW</strong></a>  </p> Wed, 15 May 2024 16:03:11 -0500 Community Health Workers /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2024-01-09-4-ways-address-top-2024-challenges <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/4-Ways-to-Address-Top-2024-Challenges.png" data-entity-uuid="d6fea11e-7028-4cbe-a627-5f0770cbed17" data-entity-type="file" alt="4 Ways to Address Top 2024 Challenges. A man in a business suit holding a giant pencil as tall as he is looks at a track from Start to a Finish flag with four milestones along the way and multiple checkpoints between the milestones." width="100%" height="690"></p><p>As health care continues to transform this year, executives will face challenges related to finances, technology, workforce and other areas. Across the field, thought leaders have been busy offering their best guesses, insights and predictions for how this year is likely to shake out. Here is what caught our attention.</p><h2><span>4 Takeaways for 2024 Planning</span></h2><h3><span>1</span> <span>|</span> Align your digital health strategy as legacy systems are sunset.</h3><p>Many health care organizations are at the midpoint of their digital transformation and most leaders expect that the continued adoption of digital tools will impact their 2024 strategy, notes a recent <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/blog/health-care-blog/2023/outlook-for-health-care.html" target="_blank" title="Deloitte: 2024 Outlook for Health Care Planning for the Future of Health: Top trends for 2024.">Deloitte survey of providers and payers</a>. Organizations should focus on integrating components across their facilities. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to address issues like increasing access, reducing wait times and minimizing administrative burdens on clinicians.</p><p>Bill Fera, M.D., a principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP, urges organizations to incorporate generative AI in parallel with other technologies as they retire legacy hardware and transition to the digital realm. This will be important as consumers turn to generative AI to help make decisions about their health and well-being, locate clinicians, learn about medical conditions and understand treatment options.</p><h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4><p>Moving to a single digital system and sunsetting others can be disruptive, expensive and time-consuming. But as generative AI matures, we could begin to see measurable improvements in everything from higher efficiency levels to better consumer experiences across all facets of health care, Deloitte explains.</p><h3><span>2</span> <span>|</span> Expand the role of community health workers (CHWs).</h3><p>As organizations increasingly adopt models that address both clinical and nonclinical aspects of patient needs, CHWs are poised to play a pivotal role in enhancing quality, facilitating care coordination, alleviating provider burdens and fostering trust among patients, Cheryl Pegus, M.D., managing director of Morgan Health Ventures, stated in a recent <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sachinjain/2023/12/14/2024-healthcare-insiders-predict-the-future/?sh=9fd5d936884b" target="_blank" title="Forbes: 2024: Healthcare Insiders Predict The Future.">Forbes report</a>.</p><h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4><p>Projections indicate a 14% growth in employment of CHWs from 2022 to 2032, Pegus notes. This shift reflects a strategic response to workforce challenges, underscoring the vital contribution of expanded roles within health care teams.</p><h3><span>3</span> <span>|</span> Be creative when building and retaining your workforce.</h3><p>More and more providers are negotiating contracts that include a weekday off and hybrid work from home (e.g., telehealth) and clinic models, Samantha L. Prokop, head of the health care transactions team at the Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart law firm, <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/2024-healthcare-merger-acquisition-trends-samantha-prokop-gunster-yoakley-stewart/703259/" target="_blank" title="Healthcare Dive: Predictions on 2024 healthcare M&A trends: What leaders need to know">wrote recently</a>.</p><h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4><p>While salaries are important, so is culture, Prokop noted. Forward-thinking leaders will do their research and listen to their employees to determine how to retain and attract talent.</p><h3><span>4</span> <span>|</span> Develop sticky relationships with consumers.</h3><p>Medical inflation, combined with rising coverage costs, could leave consumers with higher out-of-pocket costs this year, Deloitte says. Consumers are at the heart of health care鈥檚 shift from consolidation and fragmentation to convergence, and many tend to make purchasing decisions based on price and convenience.</p><p>When consumers can receive an online product order in a day or less from retailers, many are frustrated when they must wait weeks or months for a medical appointment. Deloitte鈥檚 research on trust shows that about half of focus group participants said they would be willing to trade in-person visits and the convenience of a closer location for a provider who relates to them and understands their needs.</p><h4><span>Takeaway</span></h4><p>Provider organization leaders have an opportunity to influence the decisions of health care consumers by providing digital tools that can help them navigate their health care journey. Offering more affordable care options such as telehealth can help to ensure that patients continue to receive necessary care. Cracking that code could increase stickiness and loyalty.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } Tue, 09 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0600 Community Health Workers /news/headline/2023-12-15-aha-healthcareinnovation-blog-helping-community-health-workers-advance-community-health <p>Chicago-based RUSH University Medical Center launched its Community Health Workers Hub in 2018 to provide CHWs with the support they need to help combat health and life expectancy inequities throughout the city of Chicago. Since then, the CHW Hub has promoted interdisciplinary partnerships and care coordination that provide valuable resources and essential services to patients, advancing health equity while also underlining the power of effective partnerships. <a href="/news/healthcareinnovation-blog/2023-12-13-innovations-improving-community-health-chw-hub-rush">LEARN MORE</a></p> Fri, 15 Dec 2023 14:59:17 -0600 Community Health Workers /news/healthcareinnovation-blog/2023-12-13-innovations-improving-community-health-chw-hub-rush <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/AHA-Center-logo-community-health-improvement-900x400.jpg" data-entity-uuid="75be54f9-857a-4c7b-8b0b-bc440ce33e61" data-entity-type="file" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation Community Health Improvement" width="900" height="400" class="align-right"></p><p>Community health workers have become an essential component of RUSH University Medical Center鈥檚 efforts to minimize inequities in health and life expectancy. CHWs provide much-needed resources across the RUSH campus and several Chicago neighborhoods, while also being a driving force for partnerships and programming in a variety of care and community settings.</p><p>As the life expectancy gap in the city of Chicago shows, this work is greatly needed: People born in the Loop 鈥� downtown Chicago 鈥� are likely to live 14 years longer than those born in the West Side neighborhood of East Garfield Park. Residents of Chicago鈥檚 South and West Side neighborhoods have <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/eve.shapiro3851/viz/ourimpact/Dashboard7" target="_blank">higher mortality rates</a> due to chronic illnesses, a reality exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><h2>Focus of CHW Hub at RUSH</h2><p>Since its launch in 2018, the CHW Hub at RUSH has worked to ensure positive health outcomes for patients by promoting interdisciplinary partnerships and care coordination that provide valuable resources and necessary services to patients 鈥� all of which help improve health equity. The CHW Hub is made up of a centralized workforce of individuals who serve as liaisons between community members and available resources and services. The CHWs also are trusted members of the community who have built relationships that allow them to effectively provide outreach, education and social support.</p><blockquote><p class="bq-text">Collaborating to build strong internal networks and external community partnerships creates a path for improving health equity, and CHWs are a vital link in this work.</p></blockquote><p>The CHW Hub focuses on six core areas: continued public health response, the emergency department, community settings, chronic disease management, youth programs, and connection to care. For individuals who are not receiving care on the RUSH campus, CHWs meet them where they are, including at community events or at churches.</p><h2>Paving the Way for Improving Health Equity</h2><p>Collaborating to build strong internal networks and external community partnerships creates a path for improving health equity, and CHWs are a vital link in this work.</p><p>Beyond collaborating internally to improve clinical integration and social care coordination, RUSH has several external partners who financially support the CHW Hub. The Hub is entirely grant-funded, with a portfolio including private, public and government partnerships. Grant-funded initiatives vary based on the needs of communities, allowing the CHW Hub to be both responsive and proactive. For example, the Chicago Department of Public Health continues to partner with RUSH in funding public health response initiatives, which are implemented by interdisciplinary teams of CHWs, registered nurses, social workers and medical assistants at RUSH and in the community.</p><p>CHWs use the Unite Us platform to connect patients with appropriate resources and services, working to meet the health and social needs of individuals living throughout Chicago. These resources are considered closed-loop referrals; after CHWs complete social needs screenings, organizations such as Top Box, the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, and the Spanish Coalition for Housing are alerted to the referrals. Someone from the community organization then reaches out to the patient to coordinate resources, adding an additional point of contact. This process increases the uptake of resources and services, since the responsibility of reaching out does not fall on the patient.</p><p>The CHW Hub is deliberate in providing support for CHWs as they work with patients by providing direct escalation to social workers in cases of crisis and having clear role delineation and referral protocols in place for social workers and registered nurses. Additional support for the CHW Hub is provided in the form of training, development opportunities and monthly trauma processing sessions led by social workers.</p><h2>CHWs鈥� Role in Building Strong Community Partnerships</h2><p>Working with community organizations and building partnerships can foster a deeper understanding of what individuals and communities need. Addressing health and social needs is most effective when programming meets community members where they are and when the emphasis is on building trusting relationships. For example, a hospital may partner with a local church to hold workshops on chronic disease management so people convene in a neighborhood space that is comfortable if slightly unconventional. In these community settings, CHWs can offer key assistance and support in outreach and education.</p><p>Finding unique approaches to improving access to resources that address health and social needs requires integration at all levels, from both clinical and nonclinical applications. When teams across multiple disciplines are part of the patient referral process, it allows each team member to engage in their work confidently and within the scope of their practice.</p><p>Hospitals and health systems continue to develop programming that improves health equity and access to care. At RUSH, CHWs provide essential insights and services to address the needs of historically marginalized communities. The CHW Hub is an instrumental asset and an innovative program 鈥� one that can happen only through effective partnerships.</p><p><em>Lexi Artman is the system manager, community health strategy and programs, and Teresa Berumen is a community health worker supervisor, both at RUSH University Medical Center in Chicago. Alex Shrader served as a summer intern through the RUSH Education and Career Hub for two years with the CHW Hub team.</em></p><p><em>To learn more about the RUSH CHW program, visit </em><a href="https://www.rush.edu/about-us/rush-community/office-community-health-equity-and-engagement" target="_blank"><em>RUSH Office of Community Health Equity and Engagement</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><em>To explore more community health partnership initiatives, check out the </em><a href="/center/population-health-management/bridging-the-sectors"><em>Bridging the Sectors</em></a><em> project page on AHA.org.</em></p></div><div class="col-mod-4"><div class="col-md-4"><div class="panel module-typeC"><div class="panel-heading"><h3 class="panel-title">Measuring the Impact</h3></div><div class="panel-body"><p>Since the rapid expansion of RUSH鈥檚 CHW Hub in December 2020, community health workers have:</p><ul><li>Made over 20,000 proactive outreach attempts.</li><li>Facilitated over 2,000 connections to care, via referrals to community practice social workers and registered nurses.</li><li>Completed nearly 8,000 social needs screenings (from July 2021 to May 2023).</li></ul><p>Check out <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a9d6ae6af2096ecf434a2d1/t/63632d77ceef6548a081fe9f/1667444088435/CHWHub_poster_APHA_2022.pdf" target="_blank">this poster</a> for more info on how CHWs can improve health and reduce gaps in care.</p></div></div></div></div></div>p.bq-text { font-size: 20px; } </div> Wed, 13 Dec 2023 13:16:49 -0600 Community Health Workers /case-studies/2023-12-05-henry-ford-hospital-michigan <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><h2><span>Overview</span></h2><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Henry-Ford-Hospital-Michigan.jpg" data-entity-uuid="e1644f78-1c53-462c-8025-126ae65f15ae" data-entity-type="file" alt="Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan seen from an elevated view." width="345" height="210" class="align-right">Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, is the flagship hospital of Henry Ford Health, one of the nation's largest integrated health care systems. For more than 100 years, the not-for-profit organization has been headquartered in Detroit and is committed to serving the city and metro area鈥檚 diverse population, the needs of which are at the heart of Henry Ford鈥檚 commitment to providing a full continuum of care and community services.</p><p>Henry Ford Hospital maintains 877 beds and is distinguished for its exceptional performance in cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, transplant procedures, and cancer care. As a leading academic medical center, Henry Ford instructs over 4,000 medical students, residents, and fellows annually through more than 50 accredited programs, mainly at the campus in Detroit. The organization consistently ranks among Michigan鈥檚 top five National Institutes of Health-funded institutions.</p><h2><span>Commitment to Health Equity and Diversity</span></h2><p>Henry Ford鈥檚 commitment to equity in serving Detroit鈥檚 diverse community is evident through impactful initiatives centered at the flagship hospital, including:</p><h3><span>Advancing Maternal Health Equity</span></h3><p>Women鈥檚 Health Services implemented the Reducing Unconscious Bias curriculum to address disparities in Black maternal health. Through its Women-Inspired Neighborhood (WIN) Network: Detroit, Henry Ford connects women to clinical and social services to address social determinants of health.</p><h3><span>Utilizing Community Health Workers</span></h3><p>An innovative approach implemented at Henry Ford Hospital involves the integration of community health workers (CHW) in departments such as maternal care units. Within this framework, CHWs conduct home visits and aid individuals during the initial year following childbirth.</p><h3><span>Diversifying Research</span></h3><p>The health system leads the Participatory Action for Access to Clinical Trials (PAACT) project to enhance Black representation in cancer clinical trials.</p><h3><span>Serving Detroit鈥檚 Underserved</span></h3><p>Henry Ford partners with the Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center, Inc., a well- established organization with over 40 years of experience offering primary health, dental, and wellness care to Detroit's uninsured and underinsured populations.</p><h3><span>Advancing LGBTQ+ Rights</span></h3><p>The hospital鈥檚 visitation policies grant equal visitation for LGBTQ+ patients and families, along with training for providers and employees on LGBTQ+ patient-centered care and unconscious bias, the provision of all-gender restrooms in care facilities, and the establishment of Employee Resource Groups like PRIDE, which focuses on recruiting talented LGBTQ+ employees.</p><h2><span>Putting the Community at the Forefront of Care</span></h2><p>Henry Ford鈥檚 community outreach programs are designed to address the specific health needs of Detroiters. These initiatives encompass a wide range of services, including food pantries, exercise programs, tobacco cessation programs, vaccination clinics, and cancer screenings. One such program is Generation With Promise, a community health program that aims to promote healthy lifestyles among Detroit's youth, families, and communities. The program collaborates with local schools to improve students' health behaviors, partnering with organizations like Gleaners Community Food Bank, to offer Cooking Matters鈩� nutrition education and cooking curriculum to families and faith-based groups.</p><h2><span>Patient鈥揚ayer Mix and Community Benefits</span></h2><p>As a Metropolitan Anchor Hospital (MAH), Henry Ford Hospital serves a diverse patient-payer mix. Half of Henry Ford's revenue comes from Medicare, while 20% of the patient population is covered by Medicaid, and 30% by commercial insurance. With most patients relying on government payers for their health care coverage, a burden is placed on the organization鈥檚 finances because Medicare and Medicaid reimburse at levels much lower than the actual costs of providing care. In 2022, Henry Ford provided $1 billion in community benefits, including uncompensated care; much of this came from Henry Ford Hospital.</p><h2><span>Serving as an Economic Anchor Institution</span></h2><p>Henry Ford Hospital is more than a health care organization; it is an economic anchor in the Detroit community. In 2023, in collaboration with Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons, and Michigan State University, Henry Ford unveiled a multibillion-dollar development plan for Detroit's New Center neighborhood. The plan includes a major expansion of Henry Ford Hospital, a cutting-edge medical research facility, and enhanced partnerships between the involved parties. The development envisions economic growth, health care advancements, commitments to environmental sustainability, and a revitalized urban environment.</p><p>Henry Ford Hospital鈥檚 community investments positively impact Detroit neighborhoods through hiring, purchasing, and community programming. Henry Ford is a founding member of the <a href="https://healthcareanchor.network/about-the-healthcare-anchor-network/" target="_blank" title="Healthcare Anchor Network: About the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN)">Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN)</a>, a collaboration of 65 leading health care systems aiming to create inclusive and sustainable local economies to address economic and racial inequities that contribute to poor health. HAN's mission involves leveraging health systems' assets like hiring, purchasing, and investing to foster economically and racially equitable communities.</p><p>In partnership with other health systems, Henry Ford has committed to an "Impact Purchasing Commitment" pledge to support local, minority, women-owned, and small businesses. The organization also has a commitment to hiring from within the local community, with 10% of frontline employees coming from three ZIP codes adjacent to the Detroit hospital.</p><h2><span>Metropolitan Anchor Hospitals Need Support</span></h2><p>Henry Ford鈥檚 commitment to community-based care and dedication to patient well-being make the organization an essential anchor institution in Detroit and beyond. As a MAH, Henry Ford Hospital faces financial challenges due to its patient-payer mix and reliance on government payers. Hospitals are underpaid by Medicare and Medicaid and continued threats to state and federal provider reimbursement represent an ongoing concern. This impacts Henry Ford Hospital's ability to improve access to care for historically marginalized communities. Additional, sustained funding for MAHs is essential to sustaining the hospital鈥檚 comprehensive health care services and its ability to serve its community.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/guidesreports/2022-10-21-exploring-metropolitan-anchor-hospitals-and-communities-they-serve" target="_blank" title="Click here to read the Exploring Metropolitan Anchor Hospitals and the Communities They Serve report and download the PDF.">Read the Exploring Metropolitan Anchor Hospitals and the Communities They Serve report</a></div><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/12/AHA-MAH-Case-Study-Henry-Ford-Hospital.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan: Metropolitan Anchor Hospitals (MAH)case study PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-AHA-MAH-Case-Study-Henry-Ford-Hospital.png" data-entity-uuid="3762d12e-334c-4ba9-99e8-158a9bcead98" data-entity-type="file" alt="Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan: Metropolitan Anchor Hospital (MAH) case study page 1." width="695" height="900"></a></p><hr><p><div class="views-element-container"> <section class="top-level-view js-view-dom-id-86a2a6e62cbdf4c31ee1f02542203d4daa223b4457992ac60796b24cc3660da8 resource-block"> <h2 id="mahcasestudies">Metropolitan Anchor Hospital Case Studies</h2> <div class="resource-wrapper"> <div class="resource-view"> <div class="article views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/2024-01-04-adventist-health-bakersfield-california" hreflang="en">Adventist Health Bakersfield | California</a></span> </div><div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content"><time datetime="2024-01-04T08:41:22-06:00">Jan 4, 2024</time> </span> </div></div> <div class="article views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/case-studies/2023-12-05-henry-ford-hospital-michigan" hreflang="en">Henry Ford Hospital | Michigan</a></span> </div><div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content"><time datetime="2023-12-05T10:22:49-06:00">Dec 5, 2023</time> </span> </div></div> <div class="article views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-field-access-level"> <div class="field-content"> <div class="meta custom-lock-position"> <div class="views-field-access-level access-type-public" data-toggle="tooltip" data-placement="bottom" title="Members only"><a href="/taxonomy/term/278" hreflang="en">Public</a></div> </div></div> </div><div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/case-studies/2023-10-25-denver-health-system-colorado" hreflang="en">Denver Health System | Colorado</a></span> </div><div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content"><time datetime="2023-10-25T06:00:00-05:00">Oct 25, 2023</time> </span> </div></div> <div class="article views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/case-studies/2023-05-12-broadlawns-medical-center-iowa" hreflang="en">Broadlawns Medical Center | Iowa</a></span> </div><div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content"><time datetime="2023-05-12T15:13:18-05:00">May 12, 2023</time> </span> </div></div> <div class="article views-row"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/case-studies/2023-05-10-mlk-community-healthcare-california" hreflang="en">MLK Community Healthcare | California</a></span> </div><div class="views-field views-field-created"> <span class="field-content"><time datetime="2023-05-10T08:48:40-05:00">May 10, 2023</time> </span> </div></div> </div> </div> <div class="more-link"><a href="/mah-case-studies">More MAH Case Studies</a></div> </section> </div> </p></div></div></div> Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:22:49 -0600 Community Health Workers /news/headline/2023-11-29-aha-podcast-workforce-new-era-equitable-health-care <p>Hear from three experts who believe that expanding and integrating the talent pool of community health workers into America's hospitals and health systems could provide a bridge to meeting future health care needs. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2023-11-29-workforce-new-era-equitable-health-care?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=aha-today">LISTEN NOW</a></p> Wed, 29 Nov 2023 14:18:03 -0600 Community Health Workers /advancing-health-podcast/2023-08-02-foster-g-mcgaw-prize-finalist-cedars-sinai-its-commitment-community-health-and-health <p>The AHA鈥檚 prestigious Foster G. McGaw Prize honors health delivery organizations that have demonstrated a strategic approach to community health and health equity. Finalist Cedars-Sinai was one of the organizations honored in 2023 for leading the way. In this conversation, Jonathan Schreiber, Cedars-Sinai VP of community engagement, shares how they鈥檙e continually working to provide better care through impactful community programs.</p> <hr /> <p></p> <div><a href="https://soundcloud.com/advancinghealth" target="_blank" title="Advancing Health">Advancing Health</a> 路 <a href="https://soundcloud.com/advancinghealth/230078-final-cedarsinai-fostermcgaw-mixdown-1" target="_blank" title="Foster G. McGaw Prize Finalist Cedars-Sinai on Its Commitment to Community Health and Health Equity">Foster G. McGaw Prize Finalist Cedars-Sinai on Its Commitment to Community Health and Health Equity</a></div> <hr /> <details class="transcript"><summary> <h2 title="Click here to open/close the transcript."><span>View Transcript</span><br />  </h2> </summary> <p>00;00;00;00 - 00;00;38;28<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> Connecting topnotch medical care to medically underserved areas and populations. Equipping children and families with the tools to achieve ongoing health and well-being. Providing mental health and early intervention programs for students, parents and educators who've been affected by traumatic events. If there was a problem, Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles probably has a treatment.</p> <p>00;00;39;00 - 00;01;07;14<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> Welcome to Advancing Health. I'm Tom Haederle with AHA Communications. AHA's prestigious Foster G. McGaw Prize Honors Health delivery organizations that have demonstrated a strategic approach to community health and health equity. Among this year's three finalists for the prize, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, an 886-bed teaching hospital and academic health science center. And joining me now is Jonathan Schreiber, VP of community Engagement.</p> <p>00;01;07;14 - 00;01;29;25<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> John, thank you so much for coming by this afternoon. </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. Appreciate it. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Congratulations, first of all, on your recognition by the Foster McGaw Prize judges. They were clearly impressed by a number of the initiatives that you have underway, and I'd like to talk about some of those in the next few minutes, starting, I think, with a community clinic initiative, which maybe you could talk a little bit about what that's designed to do and what impact it's made on the community.</p> <p>00;01;29;28 - 00;01;48;01<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Absolutely. This is a I don't want to call it a brainchild of the work that we've been doing for really and truly about a decade now. But one of the key issues that comes up in terms of research that we find over and over again in our community health needs assessment is that people struggle with access to care.</p> <p>00;01;48;01 - 00;02;13;17<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And what we do know is that the federally qualified health care center system actually serves about 1.7 million Angelinos is on an annual basis. Those are not just people who sign up. That's actual individuals that are served through those community health centers. So our community clinic initiative is really designed to help build the capacity of each of those clinics to better serve their own constituents.</p> <p>00;02;13;19 - 00;03;00;16<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> It means sometimes that we're focused on quality improvement. Sometimes it means we're going to help them with regard to how they do their screenings and their connections around our social determinants of health. We have financial viability programs. We helped launch telehealth at the beginning of the pandemic for those federally qualified health centers. We also have a very, very renowned program called Managing Cleaning that helps take mid-level managers and helps them build their own ability to be leaders so that they are prepared to carry forward not only the mission but a stronger, different kind of approach to tackling the problems that are facing the health care system and specifically that FQHC world.</p> <p>00;03;00;18 - 00;03;21;14<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> That's really impressive and sounds very comprehensive in scope. Is there any way to measure the impact it's had so far? </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Well, we focus all the time. Whatever our initiative is, we always focus on how we can improve quality. And so we are looking very specifically at quality measures of individual clinics, quality measures across the board when we talk about our financial viability situation.</p> <p>00;03;21;17 - 00;03;44;11<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> When that program started, there was at least one efficacy that had two days of cash on hand. Wow. As a health care institution, you cannot survive. No business can survive effectively with two days of cash on hand when they're employing hundreds of people. So we look and we always set goals that are realistic. We have individual clinics that set goals.</p> <p>00;03;44;11 - 00;04;09;05<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> We also look at our broad initiatives. I mean, we're investing between seven and $10 million a year in this space. So the Community Clinic Association of L.A. County is an incredibly close partner. There are a variety of folks that we really work with in order to better understand the needs of that community and what that community is, as it's going to sound a little funny, but this is very much B2B, not B2C.</p> <p>00;04;09;06 - 00;04;28;02<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> We are working with those clinics so that they can be better at what they do to serve the community. </p> <p>The scope of the program is very impressive. 1.7 million people is taking on a lot. </p> <p>To be fair, in our local community benefit service area, that's only 800,000 people. But for all of Los Angeles, which is an enormous you know, L.A. County is 10 million people.</p> <p>00;04;28;03 - 00;04;51;25<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Yeah, but these are all people that earn below 250% of the federal poverty level. They're all either on Medi-Cal or they are currently not insured, which it's actually code for people who are undocumented. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Cedars-Sinai also seems to really focus, and I think this also caught the judges eyes as they were looking at the applicants this year on the totality of what it means to be healthy.</p> <p>00;04;51;25 - 00;05;10;09<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> For example, a program called Coach for Kids provides much more than just immediate care. What else does coach for kids do? And well, it's probably a pretty broad answer, but how does it address issues of food insecurity or domestic violence, for example? </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> So Coach for Kids is a program that we're incredibly proud of, but it's not a new program.</p> <p>00;05;10;12 - 00;05;31;26<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> This is a program that's been around in the community for over 30 years. And for most of that time period, we served as the primary care destination point for children and their families in the local community. So that extended in a variety of ways. And our model changed. That, I think, was what may have caught the judge's eye.</p> <p>00;05;31;26 - 00;05;49;26<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> So I'm not trying to be you know, all the world is a nail and we're a hammer. But the truth is that we realized that the way that our insurance system in the state of California is headed, I don't know if you're aware of this, but if you're under age 26 or if you're over age 49 today, you qualify for Medi-Cal.</p> <p>00;05;49;26 - 00;06;12;02<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> If you earn below 250% of the federal poverty level. And that does not distinguish between whether you are documented or whether you're undocumented. As of January 1st, 2020, for every person in the state of California who will qualify for medical insurance, who is below 250% of the federal poverty level, as long as they are a resident of California.</p> <p>00;06;12;04 - 00;06;33;23<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> So what that means is that we were actually going out as this health care system was changing. We were going out and trying to be the primary care provider for folks, and they would rely on us as a primary care provider. But what we learned through our community clinic initiative is that it started to impact the way that we saw the delivery system of health care in the community.</p> <p>00;06;33;26 - 00;06;58;07<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> The thing that they have the hardest time with -FQHCs - is recruiting new people in the door for them. So we use the Coach for Kids mobile medical unit to do is that we now have a model that we call Care and Connect. So we absolutely, unequivocally continue to do that incredible work with nurse practitioners and with nurses and social workers and providers in the field.</p> <p>00;06;58;09 - 00;07;21;08<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> But when we finish our work with Coach for Kids, we then connect people to a local federally qualified health center and to other community benefit service providers in the community for things like physical care, behavioral health care, dental care, vision care, legal services, food insecurity. We sign people up for Cal Fresh, which is the state's food stamp program.</p> <p>00;07;21;16 - 00;07;42;23<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> So there's a whole variety of work that happens through the work that we do out in the field with Coach for Kids. It's a very special program.</p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Very integrated program, too. It sounds like one one feeding into the other the way you've got it set up. </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> I think less than feeding into. It's that work that you do informs work that you see as possibilities.</p> <p>00;07;42;26 - 00;08;10;04<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And so by working with the Community Clinic Association, by working hand in hand with a variety of FQHCs, by working with the Southside Coalition, which is another group of FQHCs, we learned what the challenges were for those FQHCs, we selected high quality partners that we trust that provide incredible care and we based our outreach and our our systems for Coach on those relationships.</p> <p>00;08;10;06 - 00;08;33;00<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> So it's a matter of one program informing the way that we see the world, how we shouldn't be driving, no pun intended, into a community to say, we're going to serve you. We're going to say we're going to help and we're going to connect you so that you yourself have a greater ability to take care of you and your family's needs in an ongoing fashion.</p> <p>00;08;33;00 - 00;08;56;21<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> You don't have to wait for an itinerant mobile unit to come out every two weeks, three weeks a month, to show up. We don't want to be the connector of generational care. We want people to get connected on an ongoing basis so that they can take care of their needs. </p> <p>Cedars Sinai also seems to me, though, almost have had a crystal ball in a certain way.</p> <p>00;08;56;21 - 00;09;19;11<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And what I mean by that is today we're deluged all too frequently with these heartbreaking stories of violent incidences in school and and shootings and all sorts of traumas that are just, it seems to me, a really ugly aspect of our society right now. But all of that feels relatively new. Yet you have a program in a place called Share and Care that goes all the way back to the early 1980s that seems to deal with some of these things.</p> <p>00;09;19;11 - 00;09;44;22<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> And what was the impetus for that program? What was happening at the time that it seemed necessary to create something like this? And what difference does it made? </p> <p>What do you call it: past Is prologue? Is that the best way to describe it? </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> That's one one expression. So I think what's interesting is we had a very robust psych program at Cedars-Sinai, including outpatient, and we had outpatient services and we had a person who started because there was actually a shooting at a school in Los Angeles.</p> <p>00;09;44;22 - 00;10;21;20<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> That's the Genesis story. And those kids were traumatized. And as a consequence, her name was Suzanne Silverman - she's still the founding director of the program - went out and actually visited with those kids and tried to help them through that trauma. And that informed the creation of a program because there was a realization even then that there were incredible amounts of trauma that kids were experiencing. Sometimes that was parents who were incarcerated and that on a serious level or a loss of a family member or a close family member, maybe even a parent, and on a very basic level, bullying.</p> <p>00;10;21;22 - 00;10;42;02<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And so what's happened over the years as we've expanded the program, we're now in 30 schools. We have a parents program as well, so that parents and faculty at schools are able to have better tools on how to deal with their own students. But this is a 12 week program. We have multiple curricula depending on the need of what's happening with those groups. </p> <p>0;10;42;02 - 00;11;07;14<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> We use art therapy is the primary modality. And we evaluate the program so we can actually tell you that there is a consequence, a positive consequence of kids who have gone through this program and how they behave: A) In the classroom, B) with their peers and C) in their own homes. So it's a very profound and evaluated difference that we know we're making with this program.</p> <p>00;11;07;21 - 00;11;24;15<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And the intervention has only become stronger since its inception in 1981. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Wow. That's really something that to have been so far ahead of the curve has to be a, you know, sometimes satisfaction to. </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> By the way, I don't know that I would give Cedars-Sinai full credit. I think that for many years this was an independent program that grew.</p> <p>00;11;24;15 - 00;11;46;08<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And then we were fortunate enough about 20 years ago or so to be able to bring it in-house. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> I see. Let's switch gears a little bit here and talk about health equity, if we could. That's something I think that was measured for this particular prize this year, but something that affects caregivers nationwide. Everybody's thinking about it, talking about it, finding ways to integrate it into their operations and their core missions.</p> <p>00;11;46;11 - 00;12;07;00<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> What strides would you say Cedars-Sinai has made on the equity front and what remains to be done? </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Oh, my gosh, there's so much to do. Complicated question. Yeah, you're asking. You know, we just appointed our second chief health equity officer. We worked very closely. Dr. Christina Harris is responsible for all the health equity work that we're doing, but there's partnerships.</p> <p>00;12;07;02 - 00;12;36;09<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> None of that is carried on her own. She's a very, very small team of two people. Soon to be slightly more, but it's because it's everyone's work to do health equity. So she focuses both internally and externally. But we play in our community benefit work a very, very key role in health equity. One, we've started a screening program actually, it's been in place now for two years where we screen all patients that come in.</p> <p>00;12;36;11 - 00;13;01;01<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> This is a common thing that's starting to happen amongst hospitals. We not only screen them for social determinants of health in 11 categories, but we also then connect them to resources that are available to them, either through community based organizations or through the government services. And for those who have very intense needs, we have community health workers that work specifically with them. On a grant-making basis, </p> <p>00;13;01;02 - 00;13;31;25<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> we're also now and I see this actually kind of tragically, we're the largest funder of black birth equity programs in the state of California. The leader was and still is on many levels in terms of thinking the California Health Care Foundation. But now we have done just this year, we did $3 million in grant-making to 12 organizations that would focus on black birth equity because of the dramatic differences between black and brown births and non and particularly white births.</p> <p>00;13;31;25 - 00;13;53;25<br /> UJonathan Schreiber<br /> And so I think that there are dramatic changes there. And we're also one of the first large funders in the state of California. And we, of course, only focus on the L.A. area. But to have done a health equity RFP, the grants in that space where we tried to help bring organizations along so that they could do DEI work in their own organizations.</p> <p>00;13;53;28 - 00;14;17;06<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> And it's very odd because we're doing renewals for that grant right now. This year we'll do $20 million total in grant-making. And if you really look at it, almost all of it is focused on health equity in one way or another, whether it's access to care or whether it's about housing and homelessness or any of the other spaces where we do funding.</p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> That really doesn't seem like a box that anybody can ever check as "done" right now.</p> <p>00;14;17;08 - 00;14;40;17<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Yeah, we're far away. Always part of it, too. Yeah. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Well, wrapping up John, Cedars-Sinai has been an innovator in many fronts and I'm sure learned some lessons along the way, as everybody does. What advice would you share with peers, maybe organizations of your own size, that you've learned about building community partnerships and the difference that can make? </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> I think something that has changed pretty dramatically.</p> <p>00;14;40;21 - 00;15;04;13<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> It's a callback to something that we talked about earlier in our discussion today, and it's that we cannot do this work without the partnership of organizations and the willingness of individuals in the community to actually do the work alongside us. We can no longer go into a community and say, we're here to solve your problems. No, no, no, no, no.</p> <p>00;15;04;15 - 00;15;34;00<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> The community itself has to step forward. Organizations have to step forward. Individuals have to step forward so that they are better able to care for A) themselves and, B) their community members. So when we talk and when we talk with our peers in the space, we really specifically say, hey, our our focus is on capacity building, how to make organizations stronger, how to help them with the data that they're dealing with their deep knowledge of the community.</p> <p>00;15;34;03 - 00;16;03;02<br /> Jonathan Schreiber<br /> How can we make it so that they deliver the services that are required by the community that they serve? And that is a very, very different emphasis than we had in the past. And I mean no disrespect to the work that we used to do, it's simply that we've added this new layer on and I think that that is an evolution in the way that hospitals in their delivery of community benefit have evolved and are continuing to evolve in how we serve our local community.</p> <p>00;16;03;04 - 00;16;41;22<br /> Tom Haederle<br /> Great final thought. Thank you so much. You've been listening to Jonathan Schreiber, who's vice president of Community Engagement for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, talking about why Cedars-Sinai was a finalist for this year's Foster G. McGraw Prize from the 黑料正能量 Association. John, thank you so much for being on Advancing Health. </p> <p>Jonathan Schreiber<br /> Thank you. </p> <p>Tom Haederle<br /> Appreciate your time. And thank you for listening.</p> </details> Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:54:44 -0500 Community Health Workers /news/headline/2022-10-13-aha-releases-guide-building-community-health-worker-program <p>The AHA today released a <a href="/building-and-sustaining-health-care-workforce-community-health-workers">guide</a> offering research, resources and case studies to help organizations build a community health worker program to strengthen and sustain their health care workforce. CHWs are community members who serve as connectors between health care providers and consumers to promote health among groups that have traditionally been underserved.</p> Thu, 13 Oct 2022 21:22:43 -0500 Community Health Workers