Sinai Chicago joins forces with Trinity Health on community health worker training initiatives

Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) recently signed a national contract for community health worker (CHW) training with Trinity Health, one of the largest Catholic, not-for-profit health systems in the US. The contract focuses on the training and consulting of community health workers through SUHI’s Center for Community Health Worker Research, Outcomes and Workforce Development (CROWD). The community health worker trainings will run from February through July 2022.

“We are excited to partner with Trinity Health, a health system we have long respected, to create a “best in class” community health worker program to effectively meet the needs of the unique communities they serve,” said Sinai Urban Health Institute President Helen Margellos-Anast. “Through this partnership, we have seen firsthand the strength of their commitment to charity care and community benefits and we are proud to be supporting their journey.”

Since SUHI formed CROWD in 2017, it has provided community health training and consulting to several health systems, community organizations, governmental public health agencies, academic health centers, research studies, and health plans, among others. These organizations have mostly been in the Chicagoland area along with a few collaborations with organizations in neighboring states. The Trinity Health collaboration is CROWD’s first national partnership.

“This partnership allows Trinity Health and CROWD/SUHI the ability to invest in our most vulnerable communities by training community health workers on how to use evidence-based programs to assess and address patient social needs,” said Trinity Health Vice President of Community Health & Well-Being, Jaime C. Dircksen. “The Trinity Health Community Health Worker National Certification strives to standardize and advance social care service delivery and partnerships policy, system and environmental changes to best support our patients and community members in the communities we serve.”

The new agreement is specific to training and consulting in the onboarding phase. SUHI hopes this effort can continue to support the development and evaluation of a multi-state model. Trinity Health spans across 22 U.S. states allowing a greater outreach for the selection pool. The impact of this partnership will prepare 60-80 community health workers towards the ultimate vision of healthier and thriving communities.

“SUHI and CROWD are recognized leaders in CHW training and consulting in the Chicagoland area. This partnership gives us the opportunity to translate the learnings and best practices we have developed over 20 plus years towards enhancing the effective uptake of CHWs on a larger scale,” added Margellos-Anast.