Community Health Worker L. II - Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program (Vanderbilt)

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals / Gotham Health is one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the country, providing coordinated world-class primary and specialty care with dignity and respect for all New Yorkers, without exception. At Gotham Health, we practice a person-centered caring culture that values delivering compassionate, quality healthcare in partnership with our patients, community organizations, and staff. Gotham Health is focused on high-quality, affordable care to everyone regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. Gotham Health serves the community through a two-pronged approach : providing treatment to those who need it while at the same time emphasizing prevention. We strive to deliver services in a way that maximizes each patient's opportunity to achieve successful health outcomes, we believe in every person's right to participate in their care plans, we facilitate partnerships with other community resources to meet the needs of our patients beyond healthcare, and we celebrate and recognize the compassionate care of our committed staff. Join our team if you want to be part of our Gotham Health Family, a person-centered, fully integrated, and innovative ambulatory care network that enables all New Yorkers to live their healthiest lives.

Job Description

BACKGROUND :

NYC Health + Hospitals played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, not just in treating New Yorkers, but

also in testing residents, breaking chains of COVID-19 transmission in a timely fashion through contact tracing, and

ensuring New Yorkers could isolate and quarantine safely. NYC Health + Hospitals will play a leading role in

supporting New Yorkers in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, including by dedicating resources to address

the disproportionate toll that the pandemic took on low-income residents and in communities of color. Through the

creation of the NYC Public Health Corps, NYC Health + Hospitals will build a workforce of Community Health

Workers that is focused on assisting patients with meeting their goals around health and well-being and that can be

activated in case of future public health emergencies.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

Under the direction of a Community Health Worker (CHW) Supervisor and as part of the NYC H+H Public Health

Corps, Primary and Specialty Care (Adult) CHWs work with adult patients performing patient-centered, community

health work in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams in NYC H+H primary care and specialty care clinics,

including the Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program, which provides intensive support for lifestyle changes to

prevent and treat chronic disease. CHWs are specially trained frontline public health workers who are trusted

members of and / or have an unusually close understanding of the communities they serve. The CHW participates in

community outreach activities within the communities of NYC, engaging patients and providing resources and

assistance needed to tackle issues preventing them from staying healthy. As part of the core team of the PlantBased Lifestyle Medicine Program, CHWs will work with patients to achieve their lifestyle change goals around the

pillars of healthy eating, physical activity, stress reduction, sleep health, social connection, and avoidance of risky

substances such as tobacco.

General tasks and responsibilities will include :

Participate in ongoing education and specialized training to learn and maintain CHW skills, as well as public

health emergency response skills, relevant for the Public Health Corps

Recruit eligible patients and conduct clinical or community-based assessments and interviews to identify

their health goals and needs

Assess and address health, social and service-related needs of assigned / identified patients and create

individualized, patient-centered, goal-directed care plans for each patient

Support and motivate patients to achieve their health goals by coaching them through behavior change and

identifying their strengths and community supports

Works as a member of an interdisciplinary team assisting in providing supportive counseling and facilitating

access to a primary care provider, specialty care providers, community services and / or mental health

services, medical appointments, and fill prescriptions

Join patients during medical appointments and hospital stays as needed; communicate with their care team

to help coordinate care

Assess ability of patients to manage their chronic disease(s) and work with care team to connect them to

appropriate education and monitoring programs

Assist patients with social needs like food insecurity, housing issues, legal needs, or transportation and

provide referrals and follow-ups, as needed (for example, helping patients fill out benefit applications or

escorting them to community organizations to obtain needed services)

Explains programs and policies to community members (i.e. community services, health services, and patient

rights)

Provides feedback from patients to NYC H+H to inform quality improvement efforts

Assist patients in carrying out the behavior change action plans set by the team medical providers, including

accompanying patients to the grocery store or farmers’ market

Identify barriers to carrying out the action plans, make referrals as appropriate, and communicate on these

issues with the medical team

Assist patient in accessing electronic medical record communication portal (Epic MyChart) and other digital

access as needed to participate fully in the lifestyle program.

Collect and track data to support achievement of patient-centered care plan using assessment tools,

surveys, and logs, as appropriate

Document each patient encounter in the electronic medical record (Epic) and use other electronic systems

(including but not limited to NowPow) in accordance with established policies and procedures

Attend regular team meetings to discuss patient progress and update care plans; communicate with patients’

primary care providers.

Conduct home and community-based visits to assess patient needs specific to the home environment

Serve as a liaison between the community and the health system by communicating patient experience to

the CHW Supervisor and Program team

Report regularly to CHW Supervisor for support and feedback; participate in program improvement efforts

Perform other, related CHW program tasks, as needed and performs duties in response to public health

emergencies, when necessary

Minimum Qualifications

1. One year of full-time experience in a government agency or community organization in providing community services to the public or in assisting members of the community in obtaining community services; or

2. Completion of an approved six month training program of combined classroom training and on-the-job experience in community liaison work, plus six months of full-time experience as described in 1 above.

In addition to meeting the qualification requirements of Assignment Level I, appointment to Level II requires :

1. Two additional years of full-time experience in counseling, community work or community health activities in a government agency or community organization engaged in providing community services to the public, assisting members of the community in obtaining community services or maintaining liaison with schools, community organizations or other government agencies for the purpose of providing assistance and obtaining participation and support for implementation of community or public service programs; or

2. Education and / or experience equivalent to 1 above. Study at an accredited college in sociology, psychology or other behavioral science may be substituted on the basis of 30 semester credits for each year of the experience described above. However, all persons must have at least one year of the full-time experience described above.

Department Preferences

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB :

CERTIFICATION(S) / NYS LICENSE(S) :

N / A

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL(QRs) :

1. All appointments to this position require New

York City residency (Brooklyn, Bronx,

Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island); and

2. Three years of full time experience in

counseling, community work or community

health activities in a government agency or

community organization engaged in providing

community services to the public, assisting

members of the community in obtaining

community services or maintaining liaison with

schools, community organizations or other

government agencies for the purpose of

providing assistance and obtaining

participation and support for implementation of

community or public service programs; or

3. Education and / or experience equivalent to “1”

above. Study at an accredited college in

sociology, psychology or other behavioral

science may be substituted on the basis of 30

semester credits for each year of the

experience described above. However, all

persons must have at least one year of the

full-time experience described above.

KNOWLEDGEABLE IN : N / A

EQUIPMENT / MACHINES OPERATED :

N / A

COMPUTER PROGRAMS / SOFTWARE OPERATED :

Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, and

Powerpoint); Electronic Health Record, Epic,

NowPow, and MyChart

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE :

See Educational Level section

How To Apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the "Apply Now" button

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes :

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities
• Multiple employee discounts programs

Vacancy Control Board Number

VCB # : CUM-09122022-1529