Donald Dudley, M.D., director of the Patient Navigator Research Project at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, notes that “CHWs reduce overall health-related costs and are a cost-effective strategy for employers.”
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Contact: Will Sansom, (210) 567-2579

SAN ANTONIO (Feb. 8, 2010) — Community health workers (CHWs) often improve access to health care, the quality of care received and doctor-patient communication among medically underserved, low-income and minority populations.

The result is that “CHWs reduce overall health-related costs and are a cost-effective strategy for employers,” said Donald Dudley, M.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and director of the Patient Navigator Research Project (PNRP) at The UT Health Science Center San Antonio.

Despite this track record, there are few CHWs in Texas and across the nation.

Recognizing profession's value
So the first San Antonio Community Health Worker Summit, held Jan. 22 and organized by the Health Science Center and other community partners, sought to develop sustainable strategies to employ CHWs and build a united CHW workforce.

Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., director of the Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research, added that “CHWs have tremendous benefits to the health care providers, patients and communities.”

“CHWs have tremendous benefits to the health care providers, patients and communities,” said Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., director of the Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR). “Fostering a sense of community among health workers, as a profession, would go a long way in bridging the patient-provider gaps across the nation.”

Promoting good health in their communities
CHWs, also known as patient navigators or promotores in Spanish, are trained to promote good health in the communities where they live. They act as patient-provider liaisons and provide culturally appropriate education to improve patient health and access to care.

At the summit, the IHPR, PNRP and 70 other representatives from South Texas health groups shared knowledge and strategies for building the field of CHWs. Participants offered examples and tips regarding helping underserved populations get better access to health care. Local CHWs also gave an insider’s view of the benefits they provide to the community.

CHWs give a voice to the underserved
CHWs are needed, according to summit keynote speaker Joan Cleary, because of vast health disparities among minorities. Latinos, for example, tend to have less income, education, health insurance and access to care, which contribute to higher disease risk and rates.

“CHWs can…help solve chronic illnesses in an increasingly diverse U.S.,” said Cleary, vice president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.

The IHPR, for example, employs CHWs for several projects. A patient navigator works in South Texas to recruit children into pediatric hematology/oncology clinical trials. The IHPR’s national Latino cancer research program, Redes En Acción, funded by the National Cancer Institute, has patient navigators helping Latinas who have abnormal breast screening results navigate the health care system and get speedier access to cancer care at six sites across the country.

Summit planners — including the Area Health Education Center, Community Resources, the Health Collaborative and Northwest Vista College — and summit participants were excited to put a spotlight on this much-needed, yet fledgling occupation.

“I’m pleased to see all of these people in one room talking about the value of health promoters,” said Lourdes Rangel of the Gateway Community Health Center, Inc., in Laredo, Texas, which integrates promotores de salud (health promoters) into the care of diabetics.
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The Patient Navigation Research Program at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to address screening, treatment and navigation of women with breast and cervical cancer, including cervical dysplasia. Navigators have been matched with promotoras, along with active involvement from clinical oncologists, using evidence-based guidelines to form a cancer care team for study participants.

The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) investigates the causes and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer and chronic disease among certain populations, including Latinos, in San Antonio, South Texas and the nation. The IHPR, founded in 2006, is based at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio with a satellite office in Harlingen, Texas. The IHPR uses evidence-guided research, training and community outreach to improve the health of those at a disadvantage due to race/ethnicity or social determinants, such as education or income. Visit the IHPR at http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu.