Commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Health and developed by Wellshare International in partnership with the MN CHW Alliance. Final tool kit just released!
Health Care Home Issue Brief
In a first-ever study of HCH team composition, the Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance and University of Minnesota joined in a community-university research partnership to identify barriers and facilitators to CHW integration. This research fills a gap in understanding drivers of HCH team structure and composition. In view of Minnesota’s head-start in primary care transformation based on 2008 health reform legislation, lessons learned from this state’s experience can help inform implementation of team-based models elsewhere in the U.S. Building on study findings and other key factors, recommended action steps offer pathways to bring the benefits of CHW integration to more HCH patients and teams.
Oral Health Road Map
According to the Minnesota Oral Health Plan and the American Dental Association, the state faces major oral health disparities. Impoverished children and adults, people of color, immigrants and refugees, and many elders lack access to high-quality, affordable and culturally-competent oral care and suffer frequent, serious dental problems.
Part of the solution to addressing these challenges and advancing health equity in Minnesota is integration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) into the oral health care system.