Source: Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus
With its long-standing history of catalyzing collaboration, the Healthcare Collaborative of Greater Columbus (HCGC), an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to transforming the quality, delivery, and affordability of health care for all people in the Central Ohio region, began managing the Central Ohio Community Pathways HUB in January 2019.
The Breathing Association, CelebrateOne, Franklin County Public Health, Physicians CareConnection, PrimaryOne Health, and Wellness First were selected as care coordination agencies (CCAs). The program went live on March 1.
All six CCAs employ community health workers (CHWs) who identify and connect at-risk individuals with services to help them achieve better health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Since March, the CHWs have engaged 290 clients and identified 1,945 Pathways, or connections to care and services, to meet client needs. These numbers continue to grow each week.
The success in connecting clients to care has led HCGC to release a second RFP in order to bring more CCAs into the HUB. It is their hope to further engage diverse populations, thus addressing the various social determinants of health that are barriers to optimal health for at-risk populations in Central Ohio. RFPs are due Friday, August 2, and new CCAs will be announced on Friday, August 9. The RFP is posted on HCGC’s website.
Many are familiar with the Pathways model in the infant mortality space – where studies have shown remarkable return on investment. Buckeye Health Plan’s study, about efforts in Northwest Ohio, showed a $2.36 return on investment for every dollar spent on the program. HCGC fully intends to use this program for the Infant Mortality Pathway in Central Ohio, but plans to focus on the other 19 Pathways as well. To learn more about the HUB and its 20 Pathways, please visit HCGC website.
Using the 20 Pathways, CHWs can provide access to essential needs such as housing and transportation, as well as providing guidance and support to clients in finding a primary care physician. Once a PCP is established, CHWs can work with clients during the time between office visits on education regarding chronic disease management, such as medication adherence and blood pressure monitoring. With the right tools and knowledge, a CHW can screen for breast health by asking a woman about self-exams, educate her on what she can do on her own to prevent a more serious diagnosis, review what a family history of breast cancer can mean, and potentially set her up with a mammogram. Prompting the conversation and assisting the client in understanding options for assistance can be life-saving.
CHWs talk with women of childbearing age (age 14-44) to learn about her prior pregnancies, teach women about safe spacing of pregnancies, and can connect them with an OB/GYN.
The HUBs’ current model uses PHQ-2 screening questions for behavioral health-related concerns. By gaining trust and building a relationship with the client, the CHW can address issues that maybe the client didn’t even know existed. The goal is to make sure health concerns are addressed as proactively as possible.
The opportunities for impacting serious and preventable negative health outcomes are endless. The HUB model has the capacity to truly change lives and to target very specific disease states for these at-risk populations.
For more information about HCGC and the Central Ohio Pathways HUB, please visit HCGC’s website.