Rhode to Equity Project Incorporates Community Health Workers with Latino Health Access Support

Beginning this spring, the Rhode to Equity project has a new component: each of the 6 participating teams will be engaging up to 3 community health workers (CHWs) to support the work that they are doing to address health disparities rooted in systemic inequities. CTC-RI is also excited to bring Latino Health Access (LHA) into the project. LHA will work alongside Dr. Somava Saha and the WE Team to support CHW engagement, not only as an important component of the work, but also as change agents in addressing upstream causes of inequity. Founded in Santa Ana, CA, LHA has been implementing the Promotora model in their community for nearly 2 decades.

The Rhode to Equity project kicked off in July 2021 and will move into its 2nd year this summer. The effort centers around the Pathways to Population Health framework, bringing together 6 teams made up of a health equity zone (HEZ) as well as other partners in the work: accountable entities, primary care clinics, community health teams, community-based organizations, and individuals with lived experience of inequities. The CHW component of the Rhode to Equity project is part of a larger CDC grant awarded to the RI Department of Health to support training and development of CHWS.