Sustainable Financing Models for Community Health Worker Services in Connecticut: Translating Science into Practice

Abstract

Researchers at UMass Medical School developed four community health worker (CHW) models aligned with priorities of Connecticut’s State Innovation Model (SIM), a federally funded grant initiative to transform state health care systems. The models target high-need, high-cost patients – the populations for which CHW interventions are most likely to improve health outcomes and generate cost savings. The analysis applies results obtained by successful interventions in other parts of the country and projects outcomes that could be achieved if the same interventions were implemented in Connecticut. Evidence compiled from research studies, interviews with Connecticut CHW employers, and state public health data were used to construct cost-effective CHW models. Specific state population and cost data were used to create the most cost-effective model for each community