A blog with community in mind, heart and soul!
7 Reasons Why CHWs Are the Future of Healthcare: An Introduction to CHW Liberation
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE HERE TO STAY!
Statistic show that there are a total of 61,300 community health workers in the U.S.
National Workforce Study reported in their national study of CHWs "workforce", a "27-month research project utilized a survey of verified CHW employers in all 50 states a few things that I found interesting", here are a few after reading the article.
Let's start with factors mentioned such as "high costs of providing adequate health are to employees and the population at large", "implemented or proposed changes in health care delivery & financing", "factors contributing to the cost challenges included population changes (as we all know we have more undocumented, underserved and marginalized communities than any other country), "provider shortages", accelerating technological progress, and the increasing complexity of the health care system"
Population projects were also reported as "predicting a large increase in the U.S. elderly population (estimated to be 87 million in 2050), "due to higher fertility among minorities, and increased in population diversity and the size of younger cohorts of individuals from low-income families".
THIS IS WHERE I CAN STOP!
It's not hard to determine that I can say with confidence that COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE HERE TO STAY! Why would they/us/ them get paid at a wage that reflects the STATS!??? Someone needs to tell us why they pour all the money into a healthcare system that obviously need us to be a collaborative factor to help?
YES! I said I am asking WHY NOT! The government wants to protect the workforce, they want to retain employees. I am well on my way to retirement age now, but I have worked since 15 years of age! Ok I am a work - a -holic, I can admit that. There has not been one job that I worked that I did not provide excellent service (not the crap that we have to endure today). CHW Liberation Consulting is going to be an excellent team of professional community health workers who have the passion, drive, consistency, dedication to change, advocate for the lonely helpless individuals that look like US. We are citizens, we work hard, we care.
Listen policy makers. I have something to say! Community health workers are here to stay! We deserve to be paid, we can guarantee that your ROI (which is all you care about), will be where you need it to be. YOU, grant people, funding people, sponsors (thank you to all our sponsors we love you), but those who have the millions of dollars to pour into a system that is getting worse not better. NOW YOU HAVE US! KEEP US!
In case you missed it here are the benefits to take to YOUR next meeting when it comes to distributing the $$$$$$ to our communities, schools, systems for better value in care and for YOU all to report something better than what we see above.
YOU don't know because you look from the glass house, give us 45 minutes of care where you tell us what to do, where to go and prescribe meds we cannot afford! We are tired, we represent the community and we will stand together in this movement to make YOU see us, help us and get your ROI at the same time! It is possible! Trading places is real, try it and then you will see, experience and have a better look at it from smoky glasses because the tears will steam up your face! I am upset and NO I do not have a tissue! (I digress).
I sit in meetings where they have to produce a "pilot program"( I want to laugh but support my teams of people who care advocating for us) to prove that WE as CHWs make a difference. I can write that pilot in one day actually/literally. However, I know, worked and lived, supported with a great team of Health Coaches, Rowan and Rutgers University Students as I was part one of 3 that worked and produced an excellent program, then taught to students, stood in front of 3rd year medical students (our future in healthcare), doing Didactics monthly at Rowan University. It works, there are stats that prove this already! I am living proof that Community Health Workers, Navigators, Health Educators, etc., we have many names and wear more hats than YOU all do. YOU turn it off we turn it on when the day is done, but the day is never over for a CHW!
CHWs promote health equity and improve public health by addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH), such as income, education, environment, and access to care.
CHWs are trusted members of the communities THEY SERVE (not you), and they have a close understanding of the culture (not you), language (not you, this is a rant for another day), and needs of their clients.
CHWs provide a range of services (some you don't even know), such as health education, counseling, screening, referrals, case management and advocacy.
CHWs can help reduce health disparities and improve health outcome for vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, low-income groups, rural residents, undocumented immigrants and refugees.
CHWs can help lower health care costs by preventing or delaying the onset of chronic diseases, reducing hospitalizations (very possible I did this at a large university healthcare hospital), and ER visit (this too), & increasing the use of preventative care services.
CHWs can enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care delivery by improving patient satisfaction (ROI), adherence, and self- management skills.
CHWs can support the integration of primary care and public health by facilitating communication and collaboration among health care providers, community organizations, and public health agencies.
This is just to name a few. I have so many innovative ideas in this area but will not produce them until ALL CHWS are paid what they are truly worth!
There are people with degrees in the healthcare field that have not had the effectiveness to handle the communities that we work in, they don't "wanna touch us because we are dirty", I have heard so much over my years in healthcare. I sit and sat at tables who don't even hear what I have to contribute to a better change and ideas to help build up a better workforce, dedicated community leaders and workforce development while YOU get stats that show that it is not getting better.
WE HAD ENOUGH. I created this business & space because I had to. I was groomed for this as we all are, and will continue to stand with the COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ACROSS THE U.S. to fight for more money to do what we do, not through rose colored glasses, with silver spoons on the table. But through the fogged up windows, the broken sidewalks, the community riddled by graffiti, and trash that litter the elevators that we have to get on, while walking past the homeless and addicted just to help a client, patient for a post hospital visit, or walk them safely to transportation. Being new to VA, I have knocked on many doors for help to build this brand, asked for many mentors, asked for a little assistance, I keep count and keep notes on who they are some are in this space. Only a very few want to help me, the others kept me out of meetings, refused my request for a mentor, ignored my calls, ignored me at the table where I sat/sit ignored my emails for resources and insight. IT is OKAY, WHY, I did this in NJ.... enough said, successfully, enough said. My goal end statement is to help the people in our communities, provide jobs and fill in the gaps in healthcare. That is the bottom line.
But see where I am and trust me just getting started. We must stand as one body, one community and one purpose, we serve and protect too!
PAY US OR LOSE US!
We stand as ONE, PURPOSE, ONE POWER, ONE POSSIBLILITY
CHW liberation is not just a slogan, it is a vision for a better world where health equity and social justice are achieved. If you care about this vision, I urge you to support the CHW cause by signing a petition, sharing this blog post, or becoming a CHW yourself. We stand as one for the rights, pay, and development of CHWs.
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