Main Library
The transition to value-based care has expanded the definition of patient wellness to include both physical and social health. As patient care stretches into the community, the healthcare workforce begins to center on the community health worker.
Community health workers “are frontline public health workers who have a close understanding of the community they serve,” according to website Health Careers. “This trusting relationship enables them to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.”
Simply put, community healthcare workers help connect patients with social services that can help address their healthcare needs. These workers fill numerous roles, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Community health workers can be used in developing nations an in the US.