Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Grantee Name

Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health

Funding Area

Improving Diabetes Prevention and Management

Publication Date

December 2015

Grant Amount

$490,363

Grant Date:

January 2010 – September 2012

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Diabetes has become a growing health crises in New York State.

Numerous studies have shown that Community Health Workers (CHWs) can help patients improve their health outcomes and reduce the use of resource-intensive health services. Despite the evidence supporting CHWs and the large number of trained CHWs in New York State (an estimated 11,000), the State’s CHW workforce previously had lacked a standard scope of practice and sustainable funding streams. In January 2010, NYHealth awarded a grant to Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (Mailman School) to develop recommendations on standards, certification, and financing for CHWs in New York State. The project was conducted through a partnership between the Mailman School and the Community Health Worker Network of NYC.

 

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

  • Raised the profile and visibility of CHWs;
  • Established standards for the role and scope of practice of CHWs in New York State;
  • Recommended a statewide credentialing process for CHWs;
  • Identified stable financing streams and mechanisms for CHWs;
  • Developed a statewide CHW association;
  • Formed workgroups to address objectives and activities related to scope of practice, training and credentialing, and financing; and
  • Published a set of recommendations for the State to advance the CHW workforce in the report, “Paving a Path to Advance the Community Health Worker Workforce in New York State.”