Community Health Worker I
Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH)

Job Info

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GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The Community Health Worker will support patients in the Gynecology Practice at Massachusetts General Hospital by identifying and connecting people with resources to help address critical needs in housing, food security, and childcare to improve peri-operative planning and management. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MGH offers patient-centered gynecologic care for a culturally and socioeconomically diverse population. We are committed to providing equitable, outstanding, and comprehensive gynecology care in a culturally sensitive environment. We are endeavoring to improve equity in access to timely gynecologic surgery by introducing a program of screening for Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Identifying systemic barriers to prompt surgical treatment of gynecologic conditions will help us to remove these barriers and increase equity and access for our most vulnerable patients to surgical treatment. The Community Health Worker position has been created to facilitate this new program.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Patient Assessment and Support

• Educates the patients about why they are in the clinic and provides educational support for their specific health issues and reasons the treatment plan is recommended.
• Communication with MD and RN providers should the Community Health Worker identify the need for further discussion with MD providers when medical literacy is low.
• Assessment of patients (primarily patients requiring surgery or others identified by medical providers due to previously documented concerns). needs as identified through SDOH questionnaire (transportation, housing, financial, insurance, childcare, and health literacy).
• Identify pre-existing external and internal community resources that respond to identified barriers to care. The Community Health Worker will collaborate with the social work departments or community outreach workers as appropriate.
• The Community Health Worker will review the clinic schedule prior to the session with the clinic staff (RN or MD) to identify patients who are most likely to need additional support.
• The Community Health Worker will be alerted to patients who complete the SDOH survey and are identified by the provider at the time of their visit as needing additional support.
• When working remotely, the Community Health Worker will be expected to respond to communication via EPIC messages from providers (MD or RN) regarding any patients who may need additional support. The Community Health Worker will be expected to contact these patients in a timely fashion.
• The Community Health Worker will be expected to communicate with the RN and MD regarding any additional areas of need that the patients reveal that may not be part of the SDOH survey so the team can work to support the patient through those barriers.

Health System Navigation

• Facilitating appointments for internal and external referrals placed by my medical providers including following up on whether the patient can and did attend.
• Working with our secretary to facilitate scheduling interpreter services as needed
• Facilitating communication between the patient and the RN, and MD office staff should new medical questions or concerns arise following appointments or telephone calls.
• Coach and prepare patients and family on what to expect throughout the surgical scheduling process and what to expect for upcoming telephone calls and appointments (e.g. call from our office operating room scheduling, call from anesthesia department prior to surgery, pre-operative and post-operative visits).
• Meet weekly with Chief Resident on GYN Service regarding upcoming pre-operative clinic to identify patients who need additional care navigation (pre-operative testing appointments, PCP clearance or anesthesia appointments).
• Accompanying patients and family members to MGH appointments as necessary.
• Contacting patients by phone or gateway message following pre-operative appointment and prior to surgery to ensure they have no further barriers to proceeding with the surgery or recovering after surgery.

Patient Follow-up

• The Community Health Worker will be essential in reaching out to patients who have missed office appointments or pre-operative testing. The Community Health Worker can work to reschedule missed appointments with our clinic practice assistant and communicate the new appointment date a time to the patient. This outreach should be done at least twice a week to facilitate timely rescheduling.
• Community Health Worker will attempt to identify the reason patients have missed appointments and address any barriers to care that have developed. They will also provide education about the importance of follow-up care.
• When patient barriers are identified, the Community Health Worker will work to meet the needs of the patient in partnership with RN, MD, and other department staff. This may involve rescheduling the appointment around the patient's work schedule, arranging childcare, and making more than one appointment on the same day to limit the need for childcare and missed workdays.

Data Tracking

• Community Health Worker will track all the patients they work with by name, MGH number, indication for involvement, language, race/ethnicity, the support provided in an EPIC Shared patient list that will be established.
• Community Health Worker will document no-shows and reasons for missed appointments along with the type of outreach they provided to the patient after the missed appointment.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Organization Skills

• Strong organizational, coordination, and judgment skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Ability to work within systems and establish protocols.

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge of practice operations and standards
• Understanding procedures including copying, scanning, printing, and faxing.
• Highly proficient in all communication skills (phone, verbal, and written)
• Multilingual skills would be beneficial.
• Ability to handle sensitive information and situations with professionalism and poise.

System Skills:

• Advance computer skills. Ability to use all applicable applications at the highest level of competency.
• Ability to anticipate problems.
• Ability to analyze a situation and determine the best course of action within established guidelines.
• Ability to think creatively to problem solve.
• Advanced understanding of medical terminology.
• Knowledgeable and compliant with all hospital, State, and federal requirements (where applicable to job performance) including policy and procedures with The Joint Commission and HIPPA.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The Community Health Worker may perform a combination of on-site and remote work. They will be expected to be onsite at least three days a week from 8:30am- 4:30 pm. They will be provided a work area within the Vincent GYN office space on Yawkey 4 with a computer and a phone. This area will allow for confidential conversations between the patient and the Community Health Worker. For the remainder of the week, the Community Health Worker may work remotely but must be available to be contacted by email, epic messages and phone as needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum of high school diploma or GED
• Minimum of three years of medical office or administrative support experience required.
• Some additional training in office systems or other post-high school education preferred.
• Associate degree or higher-level education preferred, but not required.

EEO Statement
Massachusetts General Hospital is an EqualOpportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills,perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. Applications from protectedveterans and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged

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