Project Grant T2946688

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM - PROJECT TITLE: COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM (CHWTP) (HRSA-22-124) APPLICANT: FRIEND HEALTH, INC. ADDRESS: 800 E 55TH ST. CHICAGO, IL 60615-4906 PROJECT DIRECTOR: VERNEDA BACHUS CEO EMAIL: VBACHUS@BSD.UCHICAGO.EDU PH: 773-702-2193 FX: 773-702-4356 WEBSITE: WWW.FRIENDFHC.ORG FUNDING REQUEST: $3,000,000 FUNDING PREFERENCE: FH MEETS FUNDING PREFERENCE CRITERIA FRIEND HEALTH (FH) IS A STABLE, 330 FUNDED FQHC THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE RESOURCE CHALLENGED, MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED, URBAN COMMUNITIES ON CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE. FH WAS INCORPORATED IN 1997 AND HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS SUCH AS THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, OTHER FQHCS IN THE SERVICE AREA, SAFETY-NET HOSPITALS AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS TO EVALUATE AND RESPOND TO THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH ITS HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO PROVIDING CARE IN NON-TRADITIONAL SETTINGS SUCH AS SCHOOLS AND THROUGH INNOVATIVE METHODS SUCH AS MOBILE CLINICS AND TELEHEALTH, FH IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF CHICAGO'S HEALTH DELIVERY NETWORK. FH IS A MEDICAL HOME PROVIDING ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE, PRIMARY CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FINANCIAL OR INSURANCE STATUS. WITH LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE, FH STRIVES TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO A POPULATION PLAGUED BY POVERTY, VIOLENCE, AND SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DISPARITIES. THROUGH THE CHWTP INITIATIVE, FH WILL WORK WITH MALCOM X COLLEGE (MXC) TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH WILL INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND TRAINING OF CHWS WITHIN SOUTH CHICAGO. ADDRESSING BOTH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT ALONG WITH THE MEDICAL WORKFORCE SHORTAGE CREATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THIS PROGRAM WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO COORDINATED MEDICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE BY TRAINING NEW AND UPSKILLING EXISTING CHWS THAT ARE SOURCED FROM AND REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY. ALREAD Y UTILIZING CHWS WITHIN ITS PRACTICE, FH HAS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE OF THE TRAINING NEEDED TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF CHWS IN PROVIDING CULTURALLY RELEVANT, MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE, AND LOWER COST CARE TO A COMMUNITY FACING SIGNIFICANT SOCIOECONOMIC AND HEALTH DISPARITIES. AS A COMPLEMENT, MXC HAS AN EXISTING CHW CERTIFICATION/TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH WILL BE EXPANDED TO MEET THE EMERGING HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE. IN THE SERVICE AREA, THERE IS A NEED FOR ENHANCED CARE COORDINATION TO HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ACCESS THE RIGHT LEVEL OF CARE NEEDED TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH STATUS. CHWS ARE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED WITH A COMBINATION OF CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE, ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS, AND FAMILIARITY TO THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADDRESS SDOH, TO PROVIDE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND SERVICES AVAILABLE. BY DELIVERING THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL AND COORDINATION OF CARE THROUGH A SKILLED COMMUNITY MEMBER DIRECTLY FAMILIAR WITH THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, THIS PROGRAM WILL TRAIN CHWS WHO CAN OFFER VALUE-BASED CARE TO A COMMUNITY EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DISPARITIES. THE 16-WEEK CHW CERTIFICATION/TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDES BOTH CLASSROOM AND HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. FH AND MXC WILL GRADUATE UP TO 100 NEW CHWS OVER THE 3-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD. THE PROGRAM WILL OFFER 50 FULL-TIME APPRENTICESHIPS FOR GRADUATING CHWS WHO DESIRE ADDITIONAL, TARGETED TRAINING. FH WILL ALSO OFFER AN UPSKILLING PROGRAM FOR EXISTING CHWS AND THOSE WHO DO NOT GO INTO AN APPRENTICESHIP TO PARTICIPATE IN ADDITIONAL, TARGETED TRAINING. THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE UPSKILLING FOR UP TO 25 EXISTING CHWS. THIS CHW CERTIFICATION/TRAINING PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS MULTIPLE HRSA CLINICAL PRIORITIES INCLUDING TAKING ACTIONABLE STEPS TO ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY AND IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH, IMPROVE ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES AND FOSTER A HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE ABLE TO ADDRESS CURRENT AND EMERGING NEE