Description

General Overview

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a trusted member of the community who helps patients’ better access and coordinate their health care.

CHWs have the skills and experience to understand what patients are going through and help them get through difficult times.

CHWs are people who come from the communities they serve. CHWs act as caring neighbors to help patients address the social and medical problems that lead to poor health.

This position will support a new pilot program between Mass General Brigham and Walgreens Pharmacy. The MGB-Walgreens partnership aims to provide access to care in the community in which the patient resides, regardless of PCP system affiliation and / or insurance status.

The partnership includes three clinical care locations within three (3) Walgreens sites; Lynn, Revere, and Roxbury. Our goal is to bridge care between those in the community and the PCP office for those who have encountered problems with access, for whatever reason.

The three (3) clinic locations will be staffed with a provider (Nurse Practitioner / Resident / Doctor), Walgreens Pharmacist, and a community health worker.

This team can help to address all aspects of a community member’s care.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Engagement and Assessment

• Provide community health work services including access to benefits and appropriate programs for patients in need.
• Support community resource finding related to SDOH needs, including food, housing, transportation, and other areas as needed.
• Work with patients and providers to set goals for patient care and motivate patients to meet their health goals.
• Work with the patient to identify and help to address barriers to care.
• Provide culturally sensitive services to patients from different cultures.
• Help the patient to put systems in place in their environment to assist with the management of their care.

On-Site Operations

• Spread awareness and offerings to prospective and current patients of MGB by engaging with the community in a retail setting.
• Coordinate with the provider and Walgreens staff to set up equipment and materials at the start of clinic hours and to close out each shift.
• Troubleshoot operations and equipment with Walgreens staff when necessary.
• Adapt to changes in store layout and / or clinic structure and maintain quality of care.
• Communicate with the Operations Manager and / or Medical Director when stock is low for materials and equipment.
• Provide feedback and offer solutions to operational workflow issues as arise.
• Be nimble and flexible to navigate isolated circumstances. Must be able to deal with ambiguity.

System Navigation, Health Coaching and Care Coordination

• Help to address any logistic barriers, scheduling complications, childcare needs, etc., that would prevent a patient from returning to the clinic for follow-up care.
• Assist patients in organizing their records, making follow-up appointments, and filling their prescriptions.
• Help patients develop their plans for getting to various appointments for screening and diagnostic tests, and treatment services.
• Provide education on specialty, imaging, or other appointments when needed for added support and advocacy.
• Follow up on key aspects of the patient’s care to assess the in-home barriers to compliance and engage patients in addressing their barriers.

Collaboration and Documentation

• Maintain regular communication with the patient’s providers through clinical messages in the electronic health record, emails, phone calls, and case review meetings.
• Document each patient encounter in detail. Track benchmarks of progress in care including short-term goal completion along the way.
• Work with providers to reinforce health education messages the importance of follow-up care, medication adherence, routines of self-care, etc.
• Refer to internal or external care management services when other issues are identified (i.e. food insecurity, domestic violence, etc.)
• Help patients fill out applications for community services such as Medical Assistance and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
• Provide advocacy, patient education, and support in accessing community-based and hospital-based programs.
• Enter notes of intervention into the appropriate electronic health record.
• Work with medical interpreters to reach patients of other languages.
• Produce mid-year and end-of-the-year reports on program activities compiling data from databases and writing up case examples.

Schedule and Location

• Travel to the following local Walgreens sites required :

o Walgreens #2823 841 Western Ave. Lynn, MA 01905

Additional travel to the following local Walgreens sites may be requested on an as needed basis

o Walgreens # 10824 430 Broadway Revere, MA 02151

o Walgreens #7189 1620 Tremont St. Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120

This term role is time-limited with an expected end date of March 2025.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Preferred : prior experience as a community health worker, health coach, or outreach worker desired
• Required : High School Diploma or GED
• Candidate must be a local community resident with good knowledge of the resources available within the community
• A combination of education and experience may be substituted for requirements

Skills

• Ability to perform client and community assessments; including, but not limited to : Social Determinants of Health screenings.
• Effective verbal, written, and technical communication skills. Ability to apply culturally based communication and care.
• Ability to carry out written and oral instructions.
• Ability to exercise appropriate judgement in the application of professional services.
• Ability to provide support, advocate for and coordinate care for clients.
• Ability to apply Public Health concepts and approaches.
• Self-motivated and possesses the ability to work both independently and as a team member in multicultural settings.
• Solid knowledge of the core competencies for SHWs, as identified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
• Knowledge of outreach methods and strategies
• Knowledge of special topics in community health

Last updated : 2024-04-25