Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Main Line Health, partners launch 'Together for Chester' ambassador model to connect residents to care
Summary
Main Line Health and partners described a pilot to train community health ambassadors and a referral pipeline to connect Chester residents to primary, specialty and social services; organizers reported over 15 ambassadors trained and five referrals made in the initial weeks.
Representatives from Main Line Health and local partners presented a community-health access model they are piloting in Chester called “Together for Chester.” The model, which organizers said was adapted from Main Line Health’s West Philadelphia collaboration, trains trusted local ambassadors who connect residents to a centralized program manager and then to community health workers at participating health systems and federally qualified health centers.
Dr. Kristen Motley introduced the project and the partners; Vanessa Sailor, identified in the meeting as director of health equity at Main Line Health, described the operational approach and early results. Sailor said organizers trained more than 15 health ambassadors two weeks before the meeting and had already processed five referrals for services including mammograms and primary-care appointments.
Sailor summarized the model: ambassadors work at “trusted venues” (faith institutions, community sites, schools) and send referrals to a central program manager who assigns a community health worker based on geography and patient needs and coordinates care across participating systems. Mercy Fitzgerald and other health systems named in the presentation are participating partners, according to the presenters.
The city’s council and staff welcomed the initiative and encouraged continued engagement with local community groups and the city’s Community and Economic Development department to ensure alignment with resident needs.
