ConcertoCare Community Health Workers  

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are a vital part of the healthcare team. Their work is invaluable because they bridge gaps between disconnected parts of complex health care systems. CHWs tailor their services to meet the needs of the populations they serve by helping individuals overcome health disparities and social barriers.

Through outreach and health education, CHWs promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors that can lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. Their role is also essential in building trust and rapport with individuals through active listening and personalized support. By understanding each person's unique circumstances, CHWs can connect them with resources and services that help improve their overall wellbeing.

At ConcertoCare, CHWs promote patient self-efficacy by helping patients find, understand, and utilize services that support better health outcomes. CHWs assist patients in navigating community-based resources to address unmet social needs, including food insecurity, affordable housing, and reliable transportation.

Health education is a key component of the CHW role at ConcertoCare. By educating patients about chronic condition management and healthy lifestyle choices, CHWs foster a greater sense of personal responsibility for health and empower patients to make informed decisions. CHWs also encourage the patient’s participation in their own health care such as taking medications as prescribed and attending primary care appointments.  Interventions like this create opportunities to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalizations while improving overall health outcomes.

Community Health Worker Role in Action

Mr. L needed reliable transportation to attend his medical appointments.  He shared this concern with his ConcertoCare provider, who involved a ConcertoCare CHW to explore what transportation options may be available to him.  Upon contacting Mr. L the CHW arranged a three-way call with his health plan to explore his transportation benefits.  During the call, the CHW encouraged Mr. L to explain his situation directly to the representative, reinforcing his ability to advocate for himself. Mr. L was educated on his available benefits and was walked through the steps to use the mobile app to access his transportation benefits seamlessly and without delay.  Once Mr. L could access transportation for medical appointments, the CHW explored transportation options for non-medical reasons, recognizing that optimal health extends beyond medical care and includes social connection and community engagement. Mr. L was provided with community transportation resources to ensure a whole person approach to care. Throughout this process the CHW empowered Mr. L to confidently manage his transportation needs independently, increasing his confidence and self-efficacy while ensuring Mr. L was able to attend his appointments as scheduled moving forward.  

Community Health Workers play a key role in addressing barriers to care, but their impact extends beyond researching community resources and sharing information. By educating patients about available services and encouraging self-advocacy, CHWs help individuals develop the skills needed to navigate the healthcare system successfully. Mr. L's experience demonstrates how empowering patients to advocate for themselves can lead to greater self-efficacy and more independent use of available resources. Through patient-centered support, CHWs strengthen individual independence, improve long-term access to care, and contribute to better health outcomes.