Community Health Worker

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The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

BWH seeks a full-time CHW to work in the Bridges to Moms Program, helping to address gaps in social determinants of health for Obstetrics patients who are homeless or facing imminent homelessness, and providing long-term follow-up and care coordination through the baby's first year.

The Community Health Worker (CHW) is a vital role within Brigham and Women's. A CHW is a trusted member of the community who supports patients to better access and coordinate their health care. In partnership with patients, CHWs have the skills and experience to navigate resources and support patients get through difficult experiences. CHWs come from the communities they serve and act as an extension of caring neighbors to help patients meet their social and medical needs which can lead to better health outcomes.

The CHW dedicates her/his time to establishing a trusting relationship with patients to address social determinant of health (SDOH) needs such as food, housing, transportation, and connecting them to resources. In addition, the CHW works with patients to help decrease barriers to connecting to primary care in order to ensure long-term access to care. While the Community Health Worker is not a clinical position, it requires knowledge of (ability to learn) basic clinical concepts and an understanding of how primary and social care teams work together to achieve best possible health outcomes.

• Provide community health services for pregnant and postpartum patients in the Bridges to Moms Program, including short-term intensive case management and in-person support as needed to advocate for appropriate services, benefits, and programs.
• Support closing gaps in community resources related to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) needs, including assistance with housing and/or emergency shelter applications, food, transportation, utilities, medication costs, childcare, and health education needs.
• Work in partnership with the patient to identify and address barriers tocare.
• Collaborate with patients and providers to set goals for the patient's care and motivate patients to meet their health goals. Document and track progress accordingly.
• Provide culturally sensitive and responsive services to patients from diverse cultures and communities.
• Support the patient to further develop systems within their environment to assist with the overall management of their care.
• Co-develop strategies to reduce logistic barriers to care, such as, scheduling conflicts, childcare needs, and transportation that would prevent a patient from attending appointments, tests, treatment, etc.
• Assist patients in organizing their records, making follow-up appointments, and filling their prescriptions as needed.
• Accompany patients to appointments when needed to provide support and advocacy.
• Identify patient strengths to manage their own care.
• Meet patients in the community or conduct "porch" visits when and where appropriate to follow up on key aspects of the patient's care, assess barriers within the home and identify potential solutions.
• Maintain regular communication with the patient's provider and provider's care teams through health record database, emails,…