Community Health Connections
June 2021 - Vol.2, Issue 5
|
|
Gateway Health Plan partners with Center
to improve maternal health outcomes
|
|
|
|
Gateway Health Plan, Inc., a leading managed care organization dedicated to caring for the “total health” of its members, and the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health have partnered to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities for Gateway Health’s expectant mothers living in Cambria and Somerset Counties. Gateway Health members eligible for this free service are connected with a community health worker (CHW) who identifies and addresses their specific health needs.
|
|
Get to Know Gwendolyn Msolomba,
HUB CHW Supervisor
|
|
|
|
Check out this month's HUB Spotlight with Gwendolyn Msolomba, CHW Supervisor at Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy.
"I teach and dance West African dance at the Bottleworks in Johnstown and also at Saint Francis University. When I dance or teach I make sure that we are connecting with those around us. I invite others to feel the joy and love that West African Dance offers. My dance group Kulani Kids has a mission to spread joy and love throughout our community. So when we dance, we make sure that no matter the age, they feel joy and love and are welcomed to dance with us."
|
|
Community Care HUB: By the Numbers |
|
The Community Care HUB has been in action since September 1, 2020, and HUB Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been hard at work reaching out and making connections alongside at-risk participants since then. Covid-19 has made the launch of a home-visiting initiative difficult to say the least, but CHWs have risen to the challenge. Since September, 475 total pathways have been closed for HUB participants. A pathway is opened when a CHW identifies a barrier to a participant's overall health, such as housing, transportation, social service referral, or food security. There have also been 222 social service pathway referrals made to date, which means that HUB CHWs are busy connecting their participants to the many social service agencies in our area.
|
|
Get out and Get moving!
"WalkWorks Wednesdays" begins June 16th
|
|
Somerset County paves the way
for Covid vaccine clinics
|
|
Joel Landis, Director of SCDEC, and representatives from Mainline pharmacy at the Meyersdale Area High School vaccine clinic. |
|
The Somerset County Department of Emergency Services (SCDES) proactively sought out ways to get more access to vaccines for county residents. As part of the Cambria - Somerset Vaccine Task force, SCDES worked collaboratively with providers and volunteers to organize vaccine clinics based off need and conversations at task force meetings. Scores of volunteers and nursing students augmented pharmacy representatives in order to make school & workplace clinics a success. Most recently, a clinic was held at Seven Springs Restort for employees. Real-time local vaccine opportunities in Somerset County can be found on this online map.
|
|
|
|
Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the U.S. The NAACP - Johnstown Branch is holding a week-long event to commemorate Juneteenth from June 14 - June 19 at Central Park in downtown Johnstown. HUB CHWs will be promoting the HUB and representing their respective agencies at the Juneteenth Health Fair on Tues. June 15th from 12 - 4 pm in Central Park.
|
|
|
|
Now that vaccines are easier to find and vaccine eligibility has expanded across PA, the Cambria-Somerset Covid Task Force is no longer meeting, although clinics are still being organized by members. The Task Force began meeting weekly in February 2021 and involved 40-45 members. Members included vaccine providers, County govn't, community organizations, residents, academic institutions and more. Thank you to all involved!
|
|
|
|
Great news! This past month, HUB Community Health Workers Christy Berzonski and Cait Farber became Certified Community Health Workers (CCHW) through the Pennsylvania Certification Board. To become certified in PA during the legacy period, you must have completed at least 75 hours of training, 1 year of work/volunteer experience, and 60 hours of supervision. More info here.
|
|
We hope that you will continue to follow 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health updates in the future. To unsubscribe, please email us or click 'unsubscribe' below. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
