Juan serves as a bridge between under-served communities and the health and social service systems. He works within the patient-centered medical home model, which embraces a team approach to chronic disease self-management. In the medical home model, Juan helps to reinforce the patient plan of care and offers assistance in navigating a complex health and human services system. He is an advocate for patients and helps bring awareness of individual and community health needs that are necessary for efficient and culturally sensitive work. He helps to identify patient’s barriers to self-management and utilizes an important skill set to connect patients to resources and advocate for successful patient outcomes.
With each patient touch, Juan completes social determinants of health screening and assesses for other physical, social, and economic barriers that may exist for patients and that might be preventing them from being able to manage their health. He can then do the important work that a CHW (Community Health Worker) does best: To connect patients to the most appropriate services and resources and help navigate access to what is needed.
The Sanford Worthington Clinic in Worthington, MN is happy to have Juan as an onsite, in-person expert for the evidence-based Juniper programs available to their patients. Providers at the clinic can make a referral to a Juniper class based on patient needs, and Juan is the local, trusted resource for contacting and completing the enrollment process for patients.
When asked what his inspiration and motivation for becoming a CHW? Juan replied:
“To help patients get the care they need and get to provide culturally appropriate health education and information help my Spanish community be healthy.”
What do you like most about your work so far?
“What I like most about my job so far is that I am learning more about the local resources in the community, and I am excited to be able to teach patients and connect them to the resources that can help them the most.”
Please Keep up all the wonderful work you do as a CHW Juan!!