Community Health Worker, Center for Women's Medicine
Valley Health Partners, Allentown, PA
Job Summary:
The Community Health Worker (CHW) acts as a liaison between patients, health care providers, community-based organizations, social services agencies, schools, and individuals in the community to promote health, reduce disparities, and improve health outcomes across the care continuum. The CHW functions as part of the VHP care teams at health center locations and is deployed to work with patients in home or community environments. The CHW uses their community knowledge, lived experience, and social service resources to build trust, educate, and empower patients to understand and manage health. Understands the experiences, socioeconomic needs, language, and/or culture of the communities served. Outreaches, assesses needs, provides health education, assists with benefits and financial assistance applications, and helps patients navigate health systems. Identifies barriers to care and assists with access to services to improve patient outcomes.
Qualifications:
Education:
- High School Diploma / GED
- Associate degree in public health, sociology, or related field, preferred
Experience:
- 1 year experience in a medical, clinical, or community-based setting required, either as a student, volunteer, paid worker, or community resource advocate. 2 years’ experience preferred.
- 1 year knowledge of community and community resources of geographic area served. Current or former resident of the geographic area served, preferred.
- 1 year knowledge of state benefit assistance applications.
Licensure:
- Active Pennsylvania Driver’s License upon hire
Training:
- Pennsylvania State Certified Community Health Worker (or obtain within 1 year of hire)
- BLS - Basic Life Support (or obtain within 6 months of hire)
- Electronic Medical Record (EMR) (or obtain within 3 months of hire)
- Certified Application Counselor or Navigator, preferred
- Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred.
Skills Needed:
- Functions independently as well as collaboratively.
- Demonstrates ability to initiate, accept, and adapt to change.
- Demonstrates time management and organizational skills.
- Accepts and recognizes differences among people.
- Intermediate computer skills: Microsoft Office software, electronic mail; ability to learn and document in the electronic medical record, web-based applications, and resources. Knowledge of community resources to assist patients.
Essential Functions:
Builds trust and individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through outreach, community education, social support, and advocacy
- Provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health education using evidence-based sources.
- Provides telephonic, virtual, or outreach to patients based on referrals from care team.
- Conducts home/on-site visits to monitor patient progress or assess needs.
- Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with community-based organizations to promote individual care delivery, education, advocacy, and public health.
- Attends community meetings or health fairs to understand community issues or to build
relationships with community members. Distributes flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community. Collects information from individuals to compile vital statistics about the general health of community members.
- Advocates for policy changes as they relate to individual and community needs with stakeholders across the entire care continuum to transform public awareness, organizational rules, institutional practices, and/or public policies.
- Assists and empowers patient and community capacity building through advocacy, education, skill development, networking, prioritizing needs, and gaining access and resources to meet specific needs and goals.
- Acts as a liaison between providers/care team and patients to bridge the gap when working with individuals and/or groups from diverse cultures.
Addresses Social Determinants of Health
- Screens for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and connects patient to appropriate internal and external community resources for support.
- Utilizes local resource databases as needed.
- Documents succinctly and timely, all patient contacts, face-to-face and telephonic, in electronic medical records system according to organizational policies and procedures.
Assists patients to apply for financial assistance and/or state benefit programs
- Assists eligible patients to apply for state benefit programs in PA Compass such as Medicaid, Women Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and others as well as VHPCHC’s Sliding Fee Scale Discount Program
- Ensures eligibility assistance applications are completed accurately with all required documentation.
- Gathers required documentation and troubleshoots the enrollment process.
- Monitors enrollment status of patients to ensure completion of application process.
- Communicates with the local County Assistance Office (CAO) and VHP Financial Counseling team as needed.
Enhances patient’s ability to effectively communicate with healthcare providers and care team members
- Advocates on behalf of patients, families, caregivers, and communities to obtain needed care and/or resources.
- Supports patients' ability to participate in making decisions about their care.
- Informs health care providers and care team members of barriers and challenges that limit patients' abilities to follow care plan and navigate the health care system.
- Educates, role models, and supports patients and providers in relationship building interactions to support better health outcomes.
- Seeks assistance and utilize supervision as necessary to address challenging and/or ethical situations related to role responsibilities.
- Maintains privacy of patients and upholds the confidentiality requirements.
- Maintains a professional demeanor with patients, customers, partners, and colleagues.
- Enhances team effectiveness by arriving on time and ready to work.
- Complies with VHP policies regarding attendance and dress code.
Performs other related duties as assigned by the Leadership Team.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Benefits:
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- Choice of medical, dental, and vision plans with great coverage at VERY affordable rates.
- 403b Retirement Plan with generous company match
- Paid Time Off for holidays, vacation, sick & personal days
- Employee Assistance Program
- Tuition Reimbursement
