Free Webinar Learning Opportunity: Telehealth and the Impact of Community Health Workers (CHWs)

4-Part Webinar Series: The Role of Telehealth in Expanding Access to Health Care and Social Services

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs(IEA) invites you to a free webinar on: 

Telehealth and the Impact of Community Health Workers (CHWs) 

Please register here

Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2022

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT

Webinar Description

The rapid expansion of telehealth services to access health care during the COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns of widening gaps in health equity among populations at risk. This 4-part webinar series will address these concerns by identifying barriers and by highlighting sustainable models that have reduced inequalities and improved health outcomes. Presenters will describe the role of telehealth and what staffing, programmatic, and process changes have been implemented to increase access to health care, and social services.  

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the unique challenges rural communities face in social vulnerability in addition to issues in access to specialty care and comprehensive services that may be mitigated through CHW’s skills in navigating health related social needs and resources to support chronic care management and behavioral health interventions.
  • Gain awareness of the strengths and limitations of prominent solutions to fill provider vacancies due to barriers in infrastructure, capacity, and patient resistance.
  • Understand the history of the CHWs’ role in team-based care in rural communities in addition to opportunities for their individual advancement through policy and workforce development; with telehealth as a potential vehicle to their increased participation.
  • Describe lessons learned in implementing, revising, and sustaining CHW programs financially featuring perspectives on state-wide reimbursement channels versus provider and practice ROI.

Featured Speakers

  • CAPT Christopher Bersani, PsyD, ABPP, Deputy Regional Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Region 1 Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Danielle Louder, Program Director, Northeast Telehealth Resource Center, Augusta, Maine.
  • Anne Perry, MPH Candidate Boston University School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts
  • Reid Plimpton, Project Manager, Northeast Telehealth Resource Center, Augusta, Maine
  • Kari White, Northern Counties Health Care (NCHC) Director of Quality Initiatives, Compliance and Privacy Officer, St Johnsbury, Vermont
  • Webinar Moderator
  •  Veronica Roa, Public Health Analyst, Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Region 1 Boston, Massachusetts
This webinar is a close collaboration between HRSA IEA Region 1 and the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center. The series’ goal is to highlight sustainable models of telehealth and best practices to increase access to health care and reduce health disparities.

The PowerPoint presentations of The Role of Telehealth in Expanding Access to Health Care and Social Services webinar series will be e-mailed to all participants.

For more information about the series, contact Veronica Roa at vroa@hrsa.gov.

For more resources and tools about telehealth, visit:

https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/telehealth/index.html.