Community Health Worker Program: Erie County

Keywords / Description:

Data from health assessments, including a separate minority health assessment, monitoring key health indicators in Erie County showed significant disparities among the African American and Latino residents' knowledge of health services and rates of accessing services. To address this health disparity, the Erie County Health Department created a minority health task force comprised of health department employees and community members and has recently implemented a Community Health Worker (CHW) program to perform targeted health education and outreach. The CHWs disseminate the results of the assessment, information about health resources, and work to increase health screenings and utilization of health services.

Toolkit:

UW's Health Disparities Toolkit

Keyword Area:

Access to Care, Chronic Disease, Health Equity, Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Minority

Jurisdiction:

Institutional Author:

University of Washington School of Nursing Department of Psychosocial and Community Health

Submitted:

11/04/2009

Modified:

03/17/2010

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