Developing a Community Health Care Workforce
Getting what’s needed from the health care system is a challenge for anyone. It can be especially challenging for those living in communities served by the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA). A health care workforce that knows the community and shares its culture reduces barriers and improves care. Our Community Health Access initiative is focused on recruiting, training, and identifying employment opportunities for a new category of front-line health care workers who serve as links between residents and health and social services in their communities.
To achieve this aim, DCPCA partnered with the Community College of the District of Columbia (CCDC) to pilot the Community Health Worker (CHW) certificate training program. After concluding a successful pilot in February 2011, DCPCA and CCDC enrolled 26 students in the first official CHW certificate training program in May of this year. The program marks the first ever certificate program for CHWs in the District of Columbia provided by an academic institution. Moving forward, DCPCA will work with CCDC and other community partners to create a system for integrating more CHWs into the health care delivery system.
Capital Health Careers is a three-year grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor under President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. DCPCA is a Capital Health Careers partner and responsible for coordinating partner activity and overseeing the successful collection of program data. The goal of Capital Health Careers is to train and place 550 health care workers. The program pays for participants’ tuition and upgrades their skills in an array of allied health fields, including 50 CHWs to be trained in the second year. At the end of its first year, the program has already enrolled nearly 300 individuals into the Capital Health Careers training programs.
DCPCA serves as the Washington, DC “hub” for the Community HealthCorps program – the largest health-focused, national AmeriCorps program that promotes health care for the United States’ underserved populations. Now in our third year of the program, DCPCA is focusing on ensuring opportunities for young people in the District, allowing them to take advantage of professional development and employment opportunities created by the HealthCorps program. Each year, our diverse community health centers offer varied and exciting projects, which allow HealthCorps members leadership roles in increasing access to care for District residents. Read more about DCPCA’s Community HealthCorps Program.
For more information, read the one-pager about our Community Health Access programs.
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