Center of Excellence in Rural Health Programs ELEVATE ELEVATE CHWs Educate, Lead, Empower, Value, Access, Train, and Equity = ELEVATE CHWs Grant ELEVATE Overview The program is designed to increase the number of CHWs, provide CHWs with upskilled training and ensure that they have the knowledge and skills needed to increase access to care, strengthen the public health workforce, reduce health disparities and help underserved populations to achieve health equity. Funding period: 09/15/2022 – 09/14/2025 Why ELEVATE Health disparities and workforce shortages have long been issues Kentuckians have dealt with, especially in underserved populations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how vulnerable rural populations are in public health emergency situations due to these and other health issues. The pandemic has also brought to light the important role CHWs have and can play in conducting community outreach, prevention education, and connecting individuals to care and support services. Image Expanding the CHW workforce and having them fill in critical gaps in health and behavioral health care will help to address the challenges related to the SDOH- food insecurities, those living in poverty, high chronic disease rates, etc. – as this workforce will have more available time and extensive knowledge of resources to help each individual client. An enhanced, strengthen, and expanded CHW workforce will help to reduce health disparities and help underserved populations achieve health equity. The target population for expansion and upskilling includes high school students, new CHWs and current CHWs across rural Kentucky. Goals of the Grant Add new CHWs to the workforce Provide Upskill training of current CHWs Offer Apprenticeship for CHWs Develop a HRSA Region 4 CHW workgroup Community Partners Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc Cumberland Family Medical Center Department for Behavioral Health, Development and Intellectual Disabilities Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network Kentucky Association of Community Health Worker Kentucky Homeplace Kentucky Office of Community Health Workers Kentucky River District Health Department Contacts Angela McGuire Training Coordinator angela.mcguire@uky.edu Michael Nix Apprenticeship Coordinatormichael.nix@uky.edu Kyle Burnett Project Managerkyle.burnett@uky.edu Melissa Slone CO-Investigatormelissa.slone@uky.edu Frances Feltner Principle Investigator frances.feltner@uky.edu
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