Healthy Gen is excited to kick off Pathways, a community-based care coordination approach that reduces health and social disparities in communities by connecting those most at risk for poor health to information and services that can reduce these risks and track the associated outcomes.

In March, a series of three Pathways trainings for community-based care coordinators will begin and extend over the next seven months. Approximately 50 community health workers (CHWs) and their supervisors will be trained to fill jobs created via Pathways.  These training will also support two Healthy Gen staff members to become certified as Pathways master trainers who will support the training of others.

The Pathways model centers on regional HUBs which act as the infrastructure for care coordination and referrals, connecting community members to the right services at the right time. Crucial to the effectiveness of the Pathways model are the care coordinators themselves, many of whom are CHWs, who connect their fellow community members to the services they need.

While many communities have the necessary health services, the work is fragmented with limited communication or coordination between service providers. Pathways works by using existing community resources efficiently and effectively, focusing on common metrics to identify and track risks while providing holistic community care coordination with one care coordinator per individual/family and providing a platform by which outcomes are measured and paid for.

The model was chosen by the Health Care Authority (HCA) for Accountable Communities of Health (ACH) who take on this project, and backing from the participating ACHs ensures a quick, and effective launch of the Pathways HUBs.

For more information, view these resources from Pierce County ACH and Better Health Together, an Eastern Washington-based ACH :

Pierce County ACH video about the Pathways Community Care Coordination Model [VIDEO]

Better Health Together ACH video about the Pathways HUB model [VIDEO]

Pathways community-based care coordination video from the client perspective [VIDEO]

Pathways community-based care coordination video from the CHW/Care Coordinator perspective. [VIDEO]