Community Health Worker Program
When Kansas Citians need essential services, it can be a challenge to find the right resources to fit their needs. Saint Luke’s Population Health has a new program to help patients navigate the community resources available to them.
Saint Luke’s Primary Care providers can refer their patients to a Saint Luke’s community health worker. Community health workers assist patients with finding health and/or social assistance resources spanning from food banks like Harvesters to childcare assistance and more.
Saint Luke’s goal is to improve the overall health and wellness of patients. The community health workers program has proven to be successful. In 2021, patients referred to a community health worker stayed fewer days in a hospital and had fewer emergency room visits. Approximately 80% of these patients have improved or maintained good health after being discharged from the hospital.
The community health workers have had 4,000 encounters with patients referred to the program since it was established. A bilingual community health worker is available in Saint Luke’s Primary Care clinics in the East Region (Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee's Summit).
Saint Luke’s Foundation funds community health workers across Saint Luke’s and relies on donors who support population health initiatives for the program.