Habari
Wafanyikazi wa Afya ya Jamii ni kazi muhimu, inayokua Kaskazini Mashariki mwa Pennsylvania
Wahudumu wa afya ya jamii wana jukumu muhimu katika kuboresha afya na ustawi wa Kituo cha Wright kwa wagonjwa wa Afya ya Jamii. Wafanyakazi wa afya ya jamii katika Kituo cha The Wright, wakiwemo, mstari wa kwanza kutoka kushoto, Bonnie Dunleavy, CCHW; Amanda Vommaro, CCHW; na Julie Makhoul; safu ya pili, Nick Sardo, Michelle Kobeski, Scarlet Pujols Recio na Stacey Meja.
Kituo cha Wright hutumia uwanja wa kitaalamu unaojitokeza kushughulikia mahitaji ya wagonjwa
Mojawapo ya majukumu yanayokua kwa kasi, na yanayohitajika sana katika huduma ya afya leo ni yale ambayo watu wengi hawajawahi kuyasikia: Mhudumu wa afya ya jamii au CHW.
Jukumu la mhudumu wa afya katika jamii linaweza kuelezewa vyema kama mfanyakazi wa kijamii, mshauri wa sehemu na mtetezi wa sehemu, na labda kinyunyizio cha mchawi kikitupwa ndani, ambacho kinaweza kuelezea uwezo wao wa kutatua matatizo mengi yanayomsumbua sana mgonjwa.
Kwa mfano, wahudumu wa afya ya jamii wanaufahamu sana mtandao wa huduma za kijamii katika eneo fulani la kijiografia na kwa kawaida wanaweza kumsaidia mgonjwa kupata mahitaji ya maisha - kama vile makazi ya muda, usaidizi wa huduma, usafiri hadi miadi ya matibabu, bima, chakula au mavazi - wakati. mgonjwa hapo awali alikuwa hajui pa kugeukia au alisimamishwa na vizuizi vya barabarani kwenye mfumo.
"Hii ni hatua nzuri ya kwanza kwa taaluma ya huduma ya afya," alisema Amanda Vommaro, CCHW, mkurugenzi wa huduma zinazozingatia mgonjwa na msimamizi wa wafanyikazi wa afya ya jamii katika Kituo cha Afya cha Jamii cha The Wright. "Ni kama mfanyakazi wa kijamii. Unasaidia watu kushughulikia mahitaji yao ya kijamii ili waweze kuweka kipaumbele na kushughulikia mahitaji yao ya matibabu.
Ajira ya wahudumu wa afya ya jamii kote nchini Marekani inakadiriwa kukua kwa asilimia 12 kati ya 2021 na 2031 - kwa kasi zaidi kuliko wastani wa kazi nyinginezo, kulingana na Ofisi ya Marekani ya Takwimu za Kazi.
Bonnie Dunleavy, CCHW, mfanyakazi wa afya ya jamii katika Kituo cha Wright cha Mazoezi ya Afya ya Jamii Mid Valley, anamsaidia mgonjwa.
Ili kusaidia kukabiliana na uhaba huo, Kituo cha Elimu ya Afya cha Eneo la Pennsylvania (AHEC) kinatoa programu ya mafunzo ya saa 100 ambayo imeundwa ili kutoa umahiri muhimu unaohitajika kufanya kazi katika mazingira ya kijamii na ya wagonjwa wa kulazwa. Wahudumu wa afya ya jamii kwa kawaida huhitaji kiwango cha chini cha diploma ya shule ya upili. Ni lazima wamalize mafunzo yanayohitajika yanayotolewa na taasisi kama vile AHEC na pia mafunzo ya kina kazini katika kituo kama vile mojawapo ya mazoea ya utunzaji wa kimsingi ya The Wright Center.
Kituo cha Wright kimeajiri wahudumu wa afya wa jamii watano mwaka wa 2022, na watahiniwa wengine watatu wa CHW kwa sasa wanamaliza mafunzo yao.
Mafunzo hayo yanatoa maelezo ya kina kuhusu jinsi ya kuwaunganisha wagonjwa kwa ufanisi na huduma za afya zinazofaa na rasilimali nyingine za kijamii na jumuiya ambazo ni mahususi kwa eneo la tovuti ya mafunzo, iwe jamii ya vijijini kama Jermyn au kituo cha mijini kama Wilkes-Barre.
"Tunafanya kazi na benki za chakula na malazi, usafiri wa umma na huduma za makazi, na mashirika mengine kusaidia watu katika jamii zetu," Vommaro alisema, "watu ambao ni majirani zetu."
The Wright Center and The Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center have formed a strong collaborative relationship to continue to recruit, train, and certify community health workers from the region to serve the local community. Candidates are being sought from across The Wright Center’s five-county service area, including places such as Greater Scranton, the Wilkes-Barre area and Hazleton. Professionals who are bilingual are especially in demand.
These front-line public health workers assist in improving the quality of care and breaking down common barriers to treatment. Overall, they can improve health outcomes and save money by acting as a bridge between patients and the health care and social service systems. By building trust with patients, they learn about their lives, their resources and needs, and the barriers they face to being as healthy as possible.
Kwa mfano, wahudumu wa afya ya jamii wanaweza kuwasaidia wagonjwa kuelewa chaguo zao za bima ya afya na kuabiri mchakato wa kutuma maombi, au kuwasaidia wagonjwa wazee kupata vifaa vya matibabu vinavyohitajika ambavyo hawangeweza kumudu.
Bonnie Dunleavy, CCHW, alitumia zaidi ya miaka 20 kufanya kazi katika huduma za afya kabla ya kuwa mfanyakazi wa afya ya jamii mwaka wa 2018. "Nilianza kufanya hivi kabla ya kuwa nafasi," alisema. “Kwa kweli mimi ni mtu wa watu. Sikuzote nilipenda kusaidia watu, kujaribu kutafuta masuluhisho ya matatizo yao na kuleta mabadiliko katika maisha yao.”
Mojawapo ya changamoto kubwa ambayo Dunleavy na Vommaro wanaona miongoni mwa wagonjwa wao ni kupata nyumba za bei nafuu.
"Kuna ukosefu wa makazi ya umma," alisema Dunleavy, ambaye hutumia kila rasilimali inayopatikana kwake kupata kitanda salama na chenye joto wakati wa usiku kwa wagonjwa wake. "Kwa gharama ya kodi, gharama ya mfumuko wa bei, watu zaidi na zaidi wanajikuta wakifukuzwa au wanachagua kuishi katika magari yao."
Watu wengi wanaokabiliwa na tatizo hili watajaribu kuishi na familia au marafiki kwa muda, wakirukaruka kutoka nyumbani hadi nyumbani, Dunleavy alisema. Wengine huenda kwenye makao, ambayo huanza kujaza wakati wa msimu wa baridi-hali ya hewa. "Tunahitaji rasilimali zaidi katika jamii kusaidia watu," alisema. "Lakini tunafanya vizuri zaidi na kile tulicho nacho."
Dunleavy na Vommaro kwa sasa ni miongoni mwa wafanyakazi zaidi ya 500 wa afya ya jamii walioajiriwa katika Jimbo la Keystone, kulingana na taarifa iliyotolewa Septemba 2022 katika Mkutano wa uzinduzi wa Wafanyakazi wa Afya wa Jamii wa Pennsylvania huko Boalsburg.
Nick Sardo, mfanyakazi wa afya ya jamii katika Kituo cha Wright cha Mazoezi ya Afya ya Jamii Mid Valley Mid Valley, anaandika maelezo wakati akizungumza na mgonjwa wakati wa ziara ya hivi karibuni.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, views community health workers as a key to providing whole-person primary health services because they help to identify and resolve social and economic issues a patient might be experiencing outside the clinic, such as food insecurity or lack of adequate housing. Through their efforts, the CHWs are helping entire families and connecting formerly marginalized populations to the affordable, high-quality health services they deserve.
“Community health workers are essential members of our provider care teams who elevate our efforts to promote wellness and resiliency; to increase utilization of preventive services; and to better manage chronic illnesses,” Thomas-Hemak said. “These passionate and talented, front-line public health workers are trusted members of our team and the communities they serve.”
Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu jukumu la wafanyakazi wa afya ya jamii au kutuma maombi ya kozi ya mafunzo, tembelea www.pachw.org/education-training . Wafanyakazi wa sasa wa afya ya jamii wanaweza kutuma maombi ya nafasi wazi katika Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii kwa kutembelea TheWrightCenter.org/careers.
