Rural America is grappling with healthcare challenges, and community health worker programs are stepping up to respond. These initiatives are expanding, offering many residents a lifeline.
Making Healthcare Accessible in Rural America
Kelly Engebretson, Nah Thu Thu Win, William Arce, and Wanda Serrano all faced different challenges. They either struggled with transportation, language barriers, or navigating insurance complexities. But community health workers in Huron, South Dakota, helped ease their troubles.
Huron has a population of 14,000 and is famous for its state fair and a gigantic pheasant statue. More recently, it’s made headlines for its phenomenal community health workers. Employed by the Huron Regional Medical Center, these workers help patients deal with obstacles to healthcare. These could range from poverty to lack of housing, to educating them about chronic health management.
Community Health Workers on the Frontlines
In towns and rural regions across the United States, similar programs are spreading. Health providers, along with state and federal governments are investing heavily in these initiatives. This drive accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, as community healthcare workers not only improved access to preventive care, but also cut down on expensive hospital trips.
Holding the community’s hand, guiding them to better health is these workers’ primary motto. Gabriela Boscán Fauquier, the overseer of community health worker schemes at the National Rural Health Association, points out that these schemes can deal effectively with the barriers rural people confront, including higher rates of poverty and certain health ailments. They serve as a bridge between the community and the healthcare system.
Improving Lives and Livelihoods
Let’s dive back into Huron where these programs are making a huge difference in people’s lives. It was an ordinary day for Mickie Scheibe, a community health worker there, when she visited client Kelly Engebretson. The man had been unemployed since he had part of his leg amputated due to diabetes complications. Scheibe guided Engebretson through the process of applying for Medicaid. Further, she also arranged for a safe ride for him to his prosthetic fitting appointment in Sioux Falls, two hours away.
Same day, a fellow community health worker, Sau-Mei Ramos, called on another couple, William Arce and Wanda Serrano. They had recently moved from Puerto Rico and were recuperating from surgeries. Ramos coordinated their appointments, clarified their billing queries, and organized a walker and supplemental insurance for Arce.
Expediting Care and Building Bonds
Another community health worker, Paw Wah Sa, met with a client, Nah Thu Thu Win, a recent immigrant from Myanmar. Having assumed that her twin boys would qualify for Medicaid, Win was disappointed when this was not the case in South Dakota. Sa, however, didn’t want the children’s healthcare to wait and arranged for them to get the necessary dental work done at a free clinic in Sioux Falls.
These community health workers are more than mere guides. They go grocery shopping with clients, teaching them to read labels and identify healthy food. It’s a crucial part of their job to not only explain the availability of care but also when it’s essential to seek help.
The Future of Community Health Worker Programs
Given their effectiveness and the rising healthcare needs in rural America, community health worker programs can provide a tangible solution. They are even gaining financial support from the government, including reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid.
Kelly Engebretson voiced his appreciation for these programs, noting that the more they reach out to people, the better the overall health outcome would be. It’s an encouraging sentiment echoing in rural regions across America, where community health workers are turning the tide, making healthcare accessible and personal.