The District needs to develop and hire community health care workers to reach poor residents who don’t have access to doctors and hospitals, according to a study by The Brookings Institution.
The study was commissioned by the D.C. Primary Care Association, which is working to develop a community health care program in January. Community health workers are trusted, well-trained community members whose backgrounds are similar to those they serve, according to the study. The community health workers provide health education, links to services, and support in managing health conditions.
“There’s not a lot of connecting people to greater health care system and we think we can change that,” said Sharon Baskerville, executive director of DCPCA.
Low-income residents have higher rates of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension; high rates of hospitalizations for conditions that could be treated and managed in a primary care setting; and they are less likely to be insured and have a regular doctor.
The program should start modestly by training and employing 10 to 15 students in the first year. A citywide community health worker program would cost an estimated $900,000 over the first five years.
The study also found that there have been some improvements in the past few years, however, especially among youth and young adults. But health planners need access to more and better data to monitor District residents’ health status, access to care and the performance of the health care system.
