REGION — Two new community health workers (CHWs) will offer specialized services to patients at The Wright Center for Community Health and to residents of Northeast Pennsylvania, thanks to a unique program through the National Health Corps (NHC).
Harry Yanoshak of Plains Township will work with The Wright Center’s geriatric care teams and Kristin Zaorski of Covington Township will collaborate with The Wright Center’s behavioral health teams.
Both CHWs are funded through the NHC’s Community Health Fellowship, a grassroots community health service program that trains local community residents as CHWs. The new employees are committed to addressing the unmet needs of underserved populations and honing their skills as community health leaders, The Wright Center stated.
The Wright Center employs CHWs to help connect patients and community members to various resources. In addition to connecting them to food pantries and helping them find safe, affordable housing, CHWs can also help patients address utility bills, transportation to and from doctor’s appointments, health insurance applications and a variety of other needs.
“They bridge the gap,” said Kathleen Doyle, director of patient-centered services at The Wright Center. “They help address basic needs so patients can focus on their health and medical needs. This ties in directly to The Wright Center’s mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services.”
The NHC program funds CHWs to work in specialized areas to facilitate integration with The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary health services.
“This is one more step in offering whole-person, integrated care,” said Lou Strazzeri, community and agency referrals coordinator for The Wright Center. “We can now offer a CHW who can focus specifically on what a patient being seen by our geriatric care team might need or what one of our behavioral health patients may need.”
CHWs are one of the fastest-growing occupations in today’s health care field, with a projected 12 percent increase in jobs between 2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Participants in the AmeriCorps-funded NHC program must complete 1,700 hours of service within a term spanning 42-46 weeks. They also must complete a CHW training course offered by the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center. They receive a living stipend and are eligible for food and child care assistance, tuition reimbursement, and access to health insurance, including medical, vision and dental.
For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570/230-0019.