JHF Meets with Community Health Worker Initiative Work Group

In April, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation convened local payers, foundations, workforce boards, and community health worker (CHW) groups to discuss strategies for retaining, building, and sustaining the CHW workforce in the region. The work group is comprised of members from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Pittsburgh Foundation, Heinz Endowments, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Allegheny County Health Department, Highmark, UPMC Health Plan, Southwest PA AHEC, Allegheny Health Network (AHN), and Partner4Work. The group discussed the current CHW trainings and programs that are underway in the region, the role of workforce boards in helping to scale the CHW workforce in the region, and how health plans are supporting CHWs. The group identified next steps to further define different types of financing models for CHWs and to educate providers on the role of CHWs and how to effectively supervise and retain CHWs.