A few years ago, Nadia Lugo went door-to-door in Hartford’s North End with a list of names and a mission: Find people who were going to the emergency room frequently. Figure out what was keeping them from staying healthy or getting the right kind of care. And try to help. It was the kind of work many in health policy now view as key toward improving the outcomes of high-need patients. But incorporating it into the health care system remains a challenge.
community health workers
Unspeakable horrors gave Theanvy Kuoch incredible strength and compassion
Theanvy Kuoch survived torture, enslavement and the death of 19 of her relatives at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in her native Cambodia. She came to the United States as a refugee in 1981 and has led Khmer Health Advocates, a well-respected organization that serves refugees, for 35 years. She spoke to The Mirror about refugee health needs, her own experiences and the impact of the Trump administration’s policies on people who came to the country as refugees.
Connecticut needs to integrate and sustain community health workers
If we were to tell you there is a proven way to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes while reducing costs you might say, “Where do I sign?” One such way exists, and it is to invest in and support the integration of community health workers (CHW) into our health care delivery system.