Enlace Chicago for Community Health Workers - Health Equity Initiative

Accessing healthcare always has challenges; the procedures and forms are confusing, if not intimidating. For those whose first language is not English, the barriers are even greater. Nowhere in Chicago has this been more deeply felt than in the Little Village neighborhood, where 84 percent of residents are Latinx, 39 percent are foreign-born, and an estimated 25 percent are undocumented. At an estimated 44 percent, Little Village also has the highest percentage of uninsured residents as well as childhood obesity and untreated mental health issues. While community wellness had always been part of Enlace’s Quality of Life Plan, the passage of the Affordable Care Act finally created the opportunity to address the situation by providing funding and new access to health care—and Enlace went to work. The goal: Improve community health by increasing knowledge and access to resources. The method: Extend their partnership with community schools and, beginning in 2012, hire trusted local leaders as Community Health Workers (CHWs) who could connect residents to health insurance and services, as well as train them in improving their lifestyles and nutrition. Today, the Little Village community is healthier and stronger. Nearly one-third of the residents are in healthcare and healthy living programs and, despite language challenges, virtually all are connected to affordable healthcare. As important, the model is being replicated with the development by the City Colleges of Chicago of Spanish language CHW certification programs and work among all health institutions in Chicago to ensure that immigrants are welcomed and protected. One community resident was so grateful for the assistance she received to help her access the medical care that saved her husband’s life that she joined the Enlace effort. Today, she has a full-time position on the Enlace team working with members of the community to make sure they lead healthier lives and that they, too, have access to the resources they need. For its creation of a new model of service delivery and community empowerment, this year’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award goes to Enlace for their Community Health Worker Health Equity Initiative.