Community Health Worker Training Program: ELEVATE CHWs Training Site

HRSA 22 124 CHWTP- Project Abstract Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA 22 124 Community Health Worker Training Program CFDA(s): 93.516 Applicant Name: University of Kentucky Research Foundation on behalf of the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health (UKCERH) Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: ELEVATE CHWs Training Program (Educate, Lead, Equity Value, Access, Train, and Empower). Project Abstract: Kentucky faces many challenges, but Kentuckians are resilient and with the right resources and support can make improvements in the health disparities many faces, especially our underserved populations. The funding from this grant will be used to ELEVATE CHWs (Educate, Lead, Equity, Value, Access, Train, and Empower). The Kentucky Homeplace CHW program has shown the value of CHWs in addressing barriers to care in rural Appalachian counties. Building off of what has been learned over the program’s 25-plus years UK CERH and partners across the State will work collaboratively to increase the number of CHWs and ensure they are equipped with the skills needed to be successful. This proposal is designed to increase the number of CHWs and ensure that they have the knowledge and skills needed to increase access to care, strengthen the public health workforce, reduce health disparities and help underserved populations to achieve health equity. Health disparities and workforce shortages have long been issues Kentuckians have dealt with, especially in underserved populations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how vulnerable rural populations are in public health emergency situations due to these and other health issues. The pandemic has also brought to light the important role CHWs have and can play in conducting community outreach, prevention education, and connecting individuals to care and support services. Expanding the CHW workforce and having them fill in critical gaps in health and behavioral health care will help to address the challenges related to the SDOH- food insecurities, those living in poverty, high chronic disease rates, etc. – as this workforce will have more available time and extensive knowledge of resources to help each individual client. An enhanced, strengthen, and expanded CHW workforce will help to reduce health disparities and help underserved populations achieve health equity.