RSG Scottsdale/Western Regional Meeting 2014, November 20, 2014, Scottsdale, AZ

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Community health workers, trusted members of the community who focus on outreach, education, and informal counseling, contribute to improved health care outcomes for the underserved populations they serve. Evidence has shown that these workers peer-to-peer relationship with patients improve outcomes in such areas as childbirth, chronic care management, and diabetes. There is growing interest in bringing the skills of these workers to specific condition-focused initiatives or patient-centered medical homes. Samantha Sabo’s presentation at the RSG meetings focused on the evidence, experience, and practice of implementing expanded community health worker programs. She described the types of providers and training involved, emerging strategies, and promising practices. RSG members spoke frankly about the challenges and best practices in developing legislation and policies to act on this evidence, the catalytic role of payment reform, and the inevitable scope of practice disputes that arise.