The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University will host a half-day symposium, “The Role of the Community Health Worker,” from 8:30-11:15 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac, 370 Bassett Road. This event is free and open to the public.
Community health workers (CHWs) bridge the gaps between the doctor’s office and patients’ lives outside of a medical setting. CHWs identify and help people overcome barriers they face in maintaining their health. They make sure patients keep appointments, appropriately access care, have the tools to manage chronic conditions, and can access and afford their medications.
“Good health begins and is maintained in the home and in the community,” said Dr. Howard Selinger, chair of family medicine at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac. “Community health workers have a vital role to play at all levels of society, including our neighborhoods, places of employment, where we worship and where we enjoy recreation. They take caring for our health out of the medical institutions and integrate it with the fabric of our lives.”
During the program, health care executives and front-line health practitioners will describe the role of community health workers in the delivery of patient-centered medical care and address their challenges and concerns.
Selinger will welcome the audience and serve on the first panel to discuss “The Role of the Community Health Worker.” He will be joined by Milagrosa Seguinot, president of the Community Health Workers Association of Connecticut, who will discuss “What is a Community Health Worker and the C3 Project?”
A second panel, “Stories from the Front Lines of Community Health Workers,” will feature Kislene Bosse of Optimus Community Health Center, Nydia Cotto of the Hispanic Health Council and Vonnie May of Khmer Health Advocates.
The third panel will feature Dr. Tekisha Everette, executive director, Health Equity Solutions, who will discuss Public Act 17-74: “An Act Concerning Community Health Workers,” and Meredith Ferraro, executive director of the Southwestern Area Health Education Center, who will discuss “The Business Case for Community Health Workers.”
Dr. Thomas Meehan, vice president of research and medical education for ProHealth Physicians, OptumCare and executive director of the Connecticut Center for Primary Care, and Molly Rees Gavin, president of Community Care Inc., will serve on the fourth panel, “Social Determinants of Health.”
Dr. Bruce Koeppen, dean of the medical school, will deliver the closing remarks.
OptumCare is the primary sponsor, and the Community Health Workers Association of Connecticut and the Area Health Education Center are the content sponsors. For more information, call 203-582-8652.