BCHN Continues Expansion of Community Health Worker Program

BCHN's Damiris Agus, Tashi Chodon and Jay Izes at the 2016 NYC RING Convocation of Practices.

Since 2015, Bronx Community Health Network (BCHN) has deployed a team of nine community health workers to help reduce barriers to health care and social support services for patients and community members.

As a core member of the Community Health Promotion and Education (CHPEP) team and the patient care team, community health workers assist patients in care coordination and navigation; benefit screenings and enrollment; linkage and referrals; and health promotion and coaching.

BCHN community health workers have now been integrated into six Montefiore health centers: Comprehensive Family Care Center (CFCC), Comprehensive Health Care Center (CHCC), Family Health Center (FHC), University Avenue Family Practice, West Farms Family Practice and Williamsbridge Family Practice (WBFP). The program is scheduled to expand to Castle Hill Family Practice (CHFP) and Via Verde Family Practice by the end of the year.

To help address the increasing need for services, BCHN is also adding five new community health workers for the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program, bringing the total number to 14.

On October 18, the community health worker model was presented at the 2016 NYC RING Convocation of Practices by BCHN’s Tashi Chodon, Director of Programs, and Damiris Perez Agu, Grants and Program Developer. Check out the poster here.