2. Disclosure
Today’s presenters do not have any relevant financial interests presenting a conflict of interest to
disclose.
Participants must attend the entire session(s) in order to earn contact hour credit. Continuing
Nursing Education credit can be earned by completing the online session evaluation.
AONE is authorized to award one hour of pre-approved ACHE Qualified Education credit (non-
ACHE) for this program toward advancement, or recertification in the American College of
Healthcare Executives.
Note: AONE will follow up directly with specific language for those speakers that disclosed a conflict
of interest
The American Organization of Nurse Executives is accredited as a provider of continuing
nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on
Accreditation.
3. Objectives
1) Describe the value of community health care workers as part of the
mainstream health care system in a manner that will effectively
communicate the importance of these programs to hospital executives and
board members.
2) Describe how to integrate and implement a community health worker
program into a hospital or healthcare system in a cost effective manner.
3) Apply tools and resources to aid in implementation of a Community Health
Worker Program in any healthcare setting.
Building a Community Health Worker Program 3
4. RWJF Executive Nurse Fellows
• Loraine Frank-Lightfoot, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC
• Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, FACHE
• Sheila Davis, DNP, ANP, FAAN
• Pamela A. Kulbok, DNSc, RN, PHCNS-BC, FAAN
• Shawanda Poree, MBA, BSN, RN
• Lisa Sgarlata, MSN, MS, RN, FACHE
.
Building a Community Health Worker Program 4
6. History and Background
“As the demand for
care increases, so will
the role of community
health workers”
6Building a Community Health Worker Program
7. Twenty
percent of the
people in the
U.S. have
inadequate or
no access to
primary care.
Building a Community Health Worker Program 7
The healthcare system in the United States is
undergoing a monumental transformation.
Escalating costs have limited the public’s ability to
access affordable, high-quality health and
medical care. With the implementation of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (U.S.
House of Representatives, 2010), commonly
called the Affordable Care Act (ACA), healthcare
insurance coverage will expand to an estimated
32 million people by 2014, with millions more to
follow in the years to come.
Obviously there is a need for novel approaches to
provide access to primary care – approaches that
will help hospitals and health systems to
decrease readmissions and emergency
department visits; increase patient adherence;
improve health and wellness; reduce risk;
prevent disease; and meet population needs
identified by ACA-mandated Community Health
Needs Assessments.
10. CHW ROLE
• History of the role
– Global
– USA
• Definitions of the role
– ACA, APHA, WHO,BOL, HRSA
• Uni-modal vs. Polyvalent
• CHW compared to other roles
– CNA, MA, HHA
10Building a Community Health Worker Program
11. The ACA defines community health worker as “an individual who promotes
health or nutrition within the community in which the individual resides.”
Per the Act, a CHW promotes health in the following ways:
•By serving as a liaison between communities and healthcare agencies
•By providing guidance and social assistance to community residents
•By enhancing community residents’ ability to effectively communicate with
healthcare providers
•By providing culturally and linguistically appropriate health or nutrition
education
•By advocating for individual and community health
•By providing referral and follow-up services or otherwise coordinating care
•By proactively identifying and enrolling eligible individuals in federal, state,
local, private, or nonprofit health and human services programs
13. FORMULATING THE ROLE
• Education
– Type, setting
• Performance Management
• Tools, Job Aids
• Workload
– Catchment area
• Outcomes
– Triple Aim
13Building a Community Health Worker Program
15. STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDERS
• External
– Community agencies
• Internal
– Senior leadership
– Medical staff
– Care team members
• Talking Points
• Tailor the message
15Building a Community Health Worker Program
17. Implementation Best Practice
• What drives developing a CHW program?
• What size and scope does my community
need?
• Program management
– Who is involved?
– Who runs the program?
– How to supervise?
– What tools are needed?
Building a Community Health Worker Program 17
18. Implementation Best Practices
• Education of existing staff
• Monitor effectiveness
• Liability and safety issues
• The business case
Building a Community Health Worker Program 18
19. Implementation Best Practices
• Elements of successful programs:
– Recruitment
– The CHW Role
– Training –
• Initial
• Ongoing
– Equipment and Supplies
– Supervision
– Evaluation
19Building a Community Health Worker Program
20. Implementation Best Practices
• Elements of Successful Programs (cont.)
– Incentives
– Community Involvement
– Referral System
– Opportunity for Advancement
– Documentation & Information Management
– Linkages to Health Systems
– Program Performance Evaluation
Building a Community Health Worker Program 20
25. Who we are . . .
• 172 Open / Staffed Beds
• 6,100 Admissions
• 1,100 Births
• 33,000 ED Visits
• 1,000 Employees
• Payroll - $38 million
• Net Revenue: $107 million
26. Program Inception
• Opportunity to address:
– Readmission issues
– Complex patients
– Community Need
– Physician (unrecognized) need
• Opportunity for:
– Partnership with local college
– Increased positive community perception
• “The right thing to do”
Building a Community Health Worker Program 26
27. The Program – A Partnership
Wooster Community Hospital & College of Wooster
Building a Community Health Worker Program 27
28. Program Components: Students as
Health Coaches
• Student Selection
• Student Preparation / Education
– Semester long course
– Shadowing
– CPR
– Clinical Competency Assessment
Building a Community Health Worker Program 28
29. Program Components: Participants &
Process
• Patient Referrals & Enrollment
• Detailed Assessment
• Motivational Interviewing
• Comprehensive Care Plan
• Intervention
• Evaluation
*Primary Care Physician
Building a Community Health Worker Program 29
30. Wooster Community Hospital
CCN Screening and Patient Identification
Identification Sources:
•CCN – Date Review
•Practitioner Identification
•Community Referral
Screening Site:
•Hospital
•Patient’s Home
•Practitioner’s Office
In-Patient Screening Identification
Screening
Data Review
Chronic Diagnosis
Screen
(refer to diagram
below)
Other Diagnosis
Review patient’s Healthcare Utilization
Decline screening
Program introduction and Overview
Screened
Program interest expressed
Not Screened
No Utilization
No further actionRisk tool performed
Needs identifiedNo needs
No further action
Obtained consent
RefusedConsent signed
Offer Follow-Up phone callComplete CCN Care Plan and notify PCP
of enrollment in program
Start
If > 2 hospitalizations or ED visits in last 6 months
OR
If history of chronic medical problem
yes n
o
END
37. Program Components: Staff
• Program Director: 1 FTE
• Physician Medical Directors: 0.1 – 0.2
• LPN: 1.5 FTE
• Social Worker: 0.5 FTE
• Dietician, Pharmacist, Therapist: PRN
• Health Coaches
Building a Community Health Worker Program 37
39. Results
• 54% Reduction in Admissions
• 26% Decrease in use of the ED
• 100% Compliance with correct medication
use (med boxes)
• Smoking cessation
• HgA1C – goal achievement
• BP goal achievement – 100%
Building a Community Health Worker Program 39
43. Who we are . . .
• Open / Staffed Beds: 807
• Discharges: 41,927
• Births: 4,444
• ED Visits: 168,093
• Employees: 9,002
• Payroll - $623 million
• Net Revenue (Operations): $1.35 billion
44. Care Continuum
• Community Nursing
– School Nurses
– Community Agencies
• Aging & In-home Services
• Discharge Clinics
• Home Healthcare & Hospice
• EMS House Calls
• Tele Health
• Nursing Homes
– Extended Care
– Mobile Care
Building a Community Health Worker Program 44
45. Where Do CHWs Fit?
• Care Advisors & Transitional Care Nurses
• Physician Practice Based?
• Hospital Based?
• Home Health Based?
• Paramedic? Qualifications? Students?
• Elective College Course
Building a Community Health Worker Program 45
46. Key Recommendations & Take-Aways
Clear expectations & outcomes
– Student vs. patient focus
•Budget for equipment
– Medication Boxes: $300 purchase & $20 / mo. software
– Tele-health Units: $2,500 purchase & $60 / mo. software
•Clear patient outcomes – “What do we want to
accomplish?”
•Feedback – patients and CHWs
•Administrative support
•Clear roles & job descriptions
Building a Community Health Worker Program 46
50. Contact Us
• Loraine Frank-Lightfoot
loraine.frank-lightfoot@parkview.com or
frank-lightfoot.1@osu.edu
260-266-1022
• Beth Brooks
beth.brooks@resu.edu
773-252-5313
Building a Community Health Worker Program 50
51. Special Thanks
• Alex Davis
Wooster Community Hospital
Manager, Community Care Network
330-263-8478
Building a Community Health Worker Program 51
Notas del editor
Now that you have heard about the value, impact and importance of these programs, I’ll share with you the real world experience of initiating a program.
Until the end of August – was CNO at WCH where we had successfully implemented a program – program is ongoing. WCH is a single, community hospital.
Responsible for HH, private duty – full continuum of nursing care.
In September, transitioned to Parkview Health – a complex system in NE Indiana.
Describe the process of developing a CHW program in a new system - - one in which I do not have responsibilities for post acute / physician practices.
Have been working with stakeholders there to implement a similar program.
Will share both experiences.
Wooster Community Hospital (WCH) is located in Wayne County, Ohio, with a population of around 114,600 people
Point out Wooster AND Ft. Wayne
Single entity in Ohio. Progressive – outward looking: how do we meet the needs of our community and the patients we serve?
Had HH
Implemented private duty care
Inpatient Rehab
Transitional (skilled level) NH care
Recognition that current programs were not meeting the needs of patients / families.
Had initiated disease specific HH visitsUncompensated
Post DC visit: CHFStroke
Recognition that there were unmet needs –
Not addressed by WCH’s services nor community resources
Hospital – felt strong commitment to community / responsibility to address community needs regardless of reimbursement
Saw program in Meadville PA – Used concepts and grew from there
Opportunity to use existing programs & leverage them for success: HH, College’s experience / volunteer program
Partnership w college – inform their practice for the future
“Patient-centered care includes active engagement of patients in shared decision making. This represents a marked cultural change for medical providers, who traditionally relate to patients as passive recipients of their care” (Berryman, Palmer, & Parham, 2013).
WCN provides a different system of care coordination that improves a patient’s health by coaching them into managing their health risk factor. An interdisciplinary team develops a plan of care based on a patient’s goals and provides guidance and services that assists the patients in reaching their goals.
CCN was born!
a program that uses an interdisciplinary team approach to create an individualized care plan focused on a patient’s goals towards a healthier lifestyle.
WCH and College of Wooster
Liberal arts school – BS / BA only; most move on to graduate degrees
Partnership – college & hospital
Opportunity for both to extend reach beyond their traditional roles / boundaries
Why students?
Opportunity to inform their future practice
Educational give back for hospital
Opportunity for 2 large organizations in community to partner for well being of the community
FREE LABOR!
Hospital supplied:
Education of students
Coordination / oversight of students as HEALTH COACHES
Access to patients
Knowledge of how to provide post acute care / knowledge of systems of care
College supplied –
Established APEX program
Students
Semester long course (total: 22.5 hrs)
Shadowing
CPR (4 hrs)
Clinical Competency Assessment (2 hrs)
*if done as independent course, plan on 4 – 8 hour days
Topics:
chronic diseases and their management – COPD, HTN, DM (others covered in weekly team meetings)
HIPPA regulations
Literacy
Communication
Monitoring & adherence issues
role of the Health Coach
After 1st group – determined the need for more content on chronic disease
Patient sources: Does not take the place of other svcs (HH) – is an adjunct
Hospital
ED
MD offices
Community agencies
Our HH
Detailed assessment – RN – will review contents in a minute
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING!!!
Goal of program – promote independence and self care
Need to focus on what is important to the patient.
Partnership – not us telling them what to do
Screen patients within 48 hours of referral
Patient met the inclusion / selection criteria and expressed a desire to improve their health.
Inclusion criteria:
Adm to hospital – last 6 mo
ED visit – last 6 mo
Use 5 or more meds
Chronic disease
Example of delaying seeking care that worsened symptoms
Exclusion criteria:
Hospice
Severe dementia / unable to participate in care
Mental health issue ONLY
No chronic / co-morbid conditions
Within 72 hours of discharge (if hospitalized) or of referral, Comprehensive assessment completed.
Socio economic issues
Housing situation
Education level
Self health rating
Adherence potential
# Health conditions / co-morbidities
Used Elixhauser criteria plus expanded psychiatric
Psychosocial stressors impacting medical outcomes – loss, finances, legal issues
Social support needs: lack of support, medical issues, financial issues
Medication compliance
Mental health assessment
Fall risk
The MNA® is a validated nutrition screening and assessment tool that can identify geriatric patients age 65 and above who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The MNA® was developed nearly 20 years ago and is the most well validated nutrition screening tool for the elderly.
Find many patients are malnourished
Timed up and Go Test – TUG
Combine with fall assessment
After assessment – Plan Care!
Med Management
Nutritional needs
DME
Smoking
Coordination of ongoing care
Behavioral Health Goals
Depression / Anxiety
Substance Abuse / Dependency
Pain
Housing
Legal
Financial support
Financial Mgmt
Transportation
Communication (effective) with their providers
Pharmacist reviews all meds, all patients
Dietician: referral if patient screens as malnourished (MNA) or is DM. Most cases, can get reimbursed.
DM education – hospital program if able to travel; in home if not
Students / coaches – provide weekly visits to help the patient meet their goals (may be more often)
Team meetings – weekly
Review progress towards goals
Coach reports on progress (eyes and ears in the home) –
Patients tell coaches things they would not tell their nurse
35 patients
Enrolled patients – all by Feb 2014 – followed 6 mo
Comparison against their hospitalizations – prior 6 mo
Results follow
Pro’s:
Great community initiative
Unexpected volunteers!
Informed student’s practice for the future
Organic growth of the program
Now up to 45 coaches
Over 100 patients through the program
Ongoing capacity approx 60
Extensive care continuum
Currently in place:
Community health based nurses
Case managers – prepare discharge / transition plan
Transitional care nurses / Care advisors
- in physician practices – coordinate care as patients transition
Or hospital based to follow up after DC
EMS house calls – in some areas
Tuck in service
Have new grant and are expanding services
Nurse manned phone line
Situation – my role is inpatient based; this is outpatient
MANY people involved
Can become territorial
Promotion of individual ‘pet’ projects
Need someone with big picture view
Even then, multiple people may think that person is them.
Spoke with many stakeholders to secure interest / opportunity to develop the role
Closest alignment: Care advisors / Transitional care nurses --- home health
Physicians wanted only one place to look for the care plan
Developing elective course
Implementation of paid / volunteer untrained students this summer
Hopeful – class for next fall
CHWs need to honor commitment to time / place for meetings
Professionalism