Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Community Health Worker Training Program - College of Health Sciences University of Wyoming 1000 E University Ave Laramie, WY 82071 Project Director Bryant Smalley, PhD, PsyD, MBA Wyoming Excellence Chair in Rural Health 307-766-3495 BSmalley@uwyo.edu $3,000,000 in grant funds requested Despite being the 10th largest state in the United States, Wyoming is the country’s least populous state with only 578,000 residents. Correspondingly, each of Wyoming’s counties is HRSA-classified as either entirely rural (21 counties) or partially rural (2 counties), with 70% of Wyomingites living in rural/frontier areas. In addition, Wyoming has the 8th-highest representation of Native American residents in the nation, with the 7th-largest reservation in the US serving as home to both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Residents of Wyoming face complex challenges in receiving adequate health care. Of Wyoming’s 23 counties, 19 are primary care HPSAs and Wyoming has the sixth-highest rate of uninsurance in the nation. These barriers to care result in clear inequities, with Wyoming ranking 46th in the nation for percent of the population with a dedicated health care provider, and 49th in the nation for receipt of annual immunizations and colorectal screenings. Mental health is also an area of high need – the entire state is classified as a mental health HPSA and Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in the country. The State has recognized the critical role that community health workers (CHWs) can play in addressing the healthcare needs of its residents, and agencies throughout Wyoming have worked for several years to lay the groundwork to enact a robust CHW system. Pilot programs in Carbon and Teton counties tested the placement of CHWs in hospital and public health department locations and have shown high promise; however, the lack of available CHW training in Wyoming required interested candidates to be trained in Texas, resulting in substantial barriers to pursuing a career as a CHW. Creating CHW training infrastructure in Wyoming would allow the state to expand upon its momentum in CHW training and directly target health inequities. To achieve this goal, we have assembled the Wyoming Community Health Worker Training Consortium (WCHWTC), a state-wide, cross-sector group working to create a robust, sustainable CHW training infrastructure. Members of the Consortium include: University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences; State of Wyoming Division of Public Health; State of Wyoming Department of Workforce Services; State of Wyoming Apprenticeship Expansion Program; Wyoming Primary Care Association; Wyoming Hospital Association; Educational Health Centers of Wyoming (FQHC network); Cheyenne Family Medicine Residency; Casper-Natrona County Health Department; and Laramie County Community College. CHWTP funding will allow the WCHWTC to: 1) expand the public health workforce by developing a state-endorsed CHW certification program delivered by a nationally-accredited health professions school; 2) deliver ongoing learning and professional development opportunities for new and existing CHWs; 3) ensure employment readiness through field placements and registered apprenticeships; and 4) improve health equity and support for underserved Wyoming communities. To achieve these goals, the WCHWTC will: 1) create a CHW training program designed to prepare trainees for the unique healthcare dynamics of Native American, Hispanic, and rural/frontier populations; 2) design and implement a financial support system that mitigates barriers to pursuing CHW certification; 3) recruit, train, and certify at least 120 CHWs in Wyoming, with at minimum 75% being new CHWs; 4) place at least 120 trained CHWs into experiential training programs, with at least 25% of new trainees entering registered apprenticeship programs; and 5) create a sustainable infrastructure to allow the WCHWTC to maintain its core activities after the funding period has ended.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).