Community Health Worker Programs
Pediatric Community Health Worker Program
The Pediatric Community Health Worker (CHW) Program supports caregivers of children with special health care needs to understand and manage their child’s condition and to address clinical and social needs.
Bilingual CHWs are based in community-based organizations, allowing them to remain anchored in the community while maintaining a strong presence in the hospital, where they provide education and support to patients.
Between September 2006 and March 2021, CHWs enrolled 2,396 caregivers of children with special healthcare needs. Among participants with Asthma, 76% had a decrease in hospitalizations and 68% had a decrease is Emergency Department use upon graduation. More than 90 % of participants who completed the program reported feeling able to manage their child’s condition. In addition, to date, CHWs have conducted 2,139 practice education sessions with caregivers within the pediatric clinical sites.
Adult Community Health Worker Program
The Adult CHW Program empowers adults with one or more chronic conditions to better manage their health and well being. The goals of the program are to provide culturally sensitive, peer-based support to better access health care, to resolve questions and needs between clinical visits, and to address social issues that may become barriers to achieving good health and quality of life.
Bilingual CHWs are based in community-based organizations, allowing them to remain anchored in the community, while maintaining a strong presence in the hospital, where they provide education and support to patients.
Between January 2012 and March 2021, CHWs enrolled a total of 1,705 participants in the CHW program. Among those who completed the program, 89% reached their medication adherence goals and 90% reached their patient navigation goals. In addition, to date, CHWs have conducted 6,836 practice education sessions with caregivers within the pediatric clinical sites.
CHW Program Leaders
Henley Vargas
Program Manager, Pediatric CHW Program
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center
[email protected]
Carmen Cruz
Program Lead, Adult CHW Program
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Lower Manhattan Hospital
[email protected]
Jessica Moore
Program Lead, OB CHW Program
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center
[email protected]
Stephanie Correa
Program Lead, CHW Program/Patient Navigator Program
NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital
[email protected]