Project Abstract Project Title: ACHIEVE: Alabama Community Health Worker Institute for Education, Vocational training, and Engagement Applicant Organization Name: The Samaritan Foundation dba ConnectionHealth Address: 2101 Magnolia Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205 Project Director: Trinita Ashford, MPH Phone: 205.603.2066 (voice) Email Address: trinita.ashford@connectionhealth.org Website Address: https://www.connectionhealth.org/ Grant funds requested: $2,995,905 Funding Preference: ConnectionHealth is requesting the funding preference as outlined in Section V.2. of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Project Period: 9/15/2022 – 9/14/2025 Alabama is one of the lowest ranked states in nearly all health metrics compared to the rest of the nation. A 2019 analysis of collective health outcomes including cancer deaths, cardiovascular deaths, diabetes, infant mortality, and premature death ranked Alabama last in the country. Social determinants of health (SDOH) including socioeconomic status, educational attainment, racial discrimination, and restrictive governmental policies underlie these poor outcomes. Within Alabama, significant geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in SDOH exist fueled by lack of Medicaid expansion, limited access to healthcare providers, and inadequate public health infrastructure, with rural regions and Black/African American communities disproportionately impacted. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the deep fractures and inequities within our healthcare systems and communities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic also offered unprecedented opportunity for recruiting and training Community Health Workers. Research has demonstrated that Community Health Workers are a promising approach to improving health outcomes, particularly within underserved communities and populations. Despite the documented health inequities, influence of social determinants, and promise of Community Health Workers to improve these issues, the state of Alaba
ma has no formal CHW certification program and CHW efforts are siloed. Project ACHIEVE (Alabama Community Health Worker Institute for Education, Vocational training, and Engagement) aims to advance the conversation around CHWs in the state, while recruiting and training Community Health Workers for sustainable employment opportunities. To accomplish the aforementioned, ConnectionHealth is submitting this application in partnership with, and support from, the state health department, Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC), two academic medical centers, large state healthcare providers, and two of the largest payers in the State (BlueCross and BlueShield Alabama and VIVA Health). We are excited about the opportunity to coalesce and explore the merits and feasibility of developing a sustainable CHW infrastructure in our state that includes CHWs as members of the care team and as a destination career. Our overarching goals and objectives align with those listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement--focused on expanding the CHW workforce, upskilling current CHWs, creating and/or finding employment for CHWs, and contributing to health equity. The climate is conducive to fortifying the CHW infrastructure and growing the CHW workforce in our state. At the conclusion of the program: (1) a statewide coalition and Stakeholder Advisory Board will be established and actively engaged in moving the needle forward regarding the CHW workforce in Alabama, (2) 170 individuals will have been trained (130 new CHW trainees, 40 upskilled CHWs), (3) the CHW training curriculum will be revised to more closely mirror established competencies, and (4) at least 75% of new CHW trainees will gain on-the-job work experience, with at least 25% placed in a registered apprenticeship.