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Nov/Dec 2024
Volume 11 | Issue No. 90
Walter Hurd, a community health worker
(CHW) at Samuel U. Rodgers Health Cen-
ter, decided to pursue his career after re-
alizing as a patient advocate that many
people required assistance navigating the
health care system to receive the care
they need. As a CHW, he now primarily
works with senior patients, providing refer-
rals to help connect patients to providers.
"I think my role has a huge impact – a lot
of the resources people are unaware of,"
he said. "Once we form that link and get
the patients to understand what systems
are available for them, we can become a
liaison for them."
Ultimately, Hurd's goal is to help patients
become self-sufficient and able to nav-
igate health care on their own so they
don't need to rely on a system, though
help will always be available if needed. He
worries that people during the COVID-19
pandemic give up on finding care quick-
ly because they think everything is shut
down. "We're here to help bridge the gap
between the community and resources,"
Hurd said.
"Community health workers are a vital part
of our health care system and are a link
between the patient and the medical sys-
tems."
Hurd believes a collaboration between
communities and their respective health
centers is necessary to create sustainable
solutions and urges individuals interested in
supporting social workers to keep up with
local and national legislation. Supporting
social determinants of health and helping
to increase funding for social workers and
the entities they work for ensures they have
the tools needed to continue their work.
Individuals interested in getting involved
can also reach out to both local gov-
ernment and community health centers
inquiring about volunteer opportunities
as well as continue to share and amplify
advocacy information about community
issues.
"Any client can come to us with any background, problem,
etc., and we still approach that with non-bias, non-
judgement, and almost a partnership to help them reach
their goals. We can have unity within communities."
- Shelby Line, a second-year master's-level student
at the University of Kansas (KU)
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