In addition to their typical responsibilities of conducting telephone visits with their patients and working to enroll new patients in the Diabetes Impact Project – Indianapolis Neighborhoods (DIP-IN) program, Eskenazi community health workers (CHWs) have assisted patients in other ways during COVID-19.
In response to the pandemic, they served as “Way Finders,” helping to direct patients at a COVID-19 testing site, and assisted with delivering pulse oximeters to patients who were discharged on oxygen for home monitoring.
Additionally, the Eskenazi CHWs helped the Crooked Creek Food Pantry located at Eskenazi Pecar deliver boxes to food-insecure patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and were unable to get out to the grocery store. On average, they have delivered 30-50 boxes of food each week.
“Connecting patients to resources contributes to improved quality of life,” said Quanisha Morrow, community health worker for primary care at the Eskenazi Health Center – Blackburn. “It is a pleasure serving as a community health worker and being able to join the fight promoting health equity for all.”
The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health is grateful for all of the DIP-IN Eskenazi community health workers – Shirley Cogswell, Jeanine Csire, LaTanya Jefferson, Shakata Norwood and Shanyra Zapata – and how they have served the greater community during this crisis. They have remained supportive as the needs of Eskenazi patients continue to be identified.
“Working as a CHW has been awesome,” said LaTanya Jefferson. “The social connections with patients is a big one for me! I enjoy connecting with patients, providing social support, being able to assist them with managing their diabetes, and connecting them to other social resources as needed.”
The DIP-IN program, a Lilly-funded partnership with the Fairbanks School of Public Health, Marion County Public Health Department, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is putting a dent in diabetes in Indy neighborhoods, one of the city’s biggest health problems.
The coronavirus pandemic has led to a myriad of public health efforts that can easily go unnoticed. If you have volunteered, worked on a project, conducted research, or completed any unique effort related to COVID-19, and would like to share it with the Fairbanks School of Public Health, we would love to hear from you.
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