Patients enrolled in Medicaid programs often face multiple barriers to care. Some patients struggle to find reliable transportation to and from appointments or find it difficult to get in touch with providers to schedule appointments. Other patients have a hard time advocating for their own healthcare needs or feel like they don’t have the expertise needed to do so. 

But despite these barriers, Charlie McCarson, a Senior Community Health Worker (CHW) serving patients in Richmond, VA, has seen that patients are often ready, willing, and able to advocate for themselves. They just need a bit of guidance to get going in the right direction.

What is a CHW, and how do you support and enable patients and primary care providers (PCPs) in your role? 

A CHW at Waymark is a trained individual who lives in the community they serve, is familiar with and able to navigate community resources and health plans, and might have shared experiences with those they serve. As a CHW, I like to think we empower our patients to become strong self-advocates and communicators with their PCPs by addressing their self-identified immediate needs, helping them build a long-term plan, and ultimately helping them feel confident in their ability to communicate and navigate their care, both in and out of the PCP’s office.

What brought you to Waymark?

Waymark’s mission, hands down. The job listing for my role and the company’s mission made it very apparent that the goal was to improve access to healthcare for those who need it the most, which is something I feel very strongly about as well. I won’t lie; it being fully remote, where I couldn’t physically go to an office, had me skeptical. But, after the first two interviews, I could tell that the people I was speaking with were just as passionate about making healthcare more accessible. 

Why is it important for community-based teams to include CHWs? How do you work alongside other roles, like clinical pharmacists and therapists? 

CHWs have unique insights into what community resources can best benefit patients, and we can direct patients to the organizations that can help them. We also coordinate with clinical pharmacists and licensed therapists to deliver the best whole-person care possible. If I have a patient who mentions struggling with something mental health-related, for example, I’m equipped to refer them to a Waymark therapist. If there’s a medical device that could make a patient’s life easier, I can reach out to a pharmacist to see if we can get one for the patient. It’s great for both the patient and myself as their CHW to have those resources always available.

Can you share an example of how you recently helped a patient in the community? 

I’ve been working with an individual who is currently working through some housing insecurity issues and is moving back and forth between a relative’s home and a friend’s home. She also has some complicated health needs and is working on getting her disability approved. She initially connected with our pharmacy team, who introduced her to me for housing and food resources. Along with getting her connected with food pantries, I was able to identify and connect her with multiple specialists, help her find stable housing, and connect her with legal resources that can simplify the disability process for her. The pharmacy team was also on top of all of her medication needs. She’s grown so much in the time I’ve been working with her, and it’s amazing to be part of her journey!