USA College Of Medicine, MCHD Partner For Community Wellbeing

MOBILE, Ala. — The University of South Alabama (USA) College of Medicine’s Center for Healthy Communities and the Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) have partnered to implement a Mobile County Community Health Worker Coalition, which aims to increase the number of community health workers who will help fight COVID-19 health disparities. The partnership formed in response to a $300-million national initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund organizations that could bolster local community health worker capacity. Community health workers support their peers in navigating negative social determinants of health experienced in underserved communities. More community health workers would broaden the work of the Center for Healthy Communities’ Community Health Advocates Program, which helps residents understand the healthcare system by providing individual assistance, outreach and education. Positions for community health workers will be posted on USA’s human resources page. The grant will fund 14 community health workers annually. The Center for Healthy Communities and MCHD, in partnership with USA Health, will host two workers each, and other workers will operate within various community-based organizations located where COVID-19 disparities are most prevalent.