Transitioning to culturally informed care through CHW integration

Community health workers (CHW) are frontline health representatives who share the same lived experience or culture as those they serve.¹ By strengthening relationships with underrepresented communities, CHW programs aim to support organizations in providing person-centered care that takes an individual’s lifestyle, community and beliefs into consideration.² These programs support both the clinical and non-clinical needs of patients while simultaneously reducing provider burden and improving health care quality.

While there was a time when CHW programs as part of health plans saw little success due to a lack of funding and accreditation, integration between managed care organizations and CHWs is now an accepted and recommended practice.³ In 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a document outlining the benefits of CHW programs as well as the action steps required for proper implementation.² More recently, the National Association of Community Health Workers developed a white paper with UnitedHealthcare Community and State.

This whitepaper details:

• An overview of CHW history
• The value of CHW programs to the communities they serve
• The current state of CHW-Medicaid integration
• Recommendations for managed care organizations