COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
Advocating for Your Health
The mission of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc., is to
engage, educate, and energize the community to improve the
quality of life for people affected by sickle cell disease.
One of your greatest resources is our
Community Health Workers (CHW). These professionals are trained and certified so that they can help you better manage and improve your health.
Here’s how your Community Health Worker can help persons with sickle cell disease:
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Create your care coordination plan. They will help you work through all the details, then track your progress as you meet your health goals.
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Find primary care or specialty medical provider. Our CHWs will help you find the best health care provider for you.
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Set personal goals. They will help you with the small details, such as sending you appointment reminders, and the big ones, such as going with you to appointments when you need their expertise and strong support.
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Find social services, community resources, and agencies. Our CHWs will cut through the deluge of information out there and help you pinpoint the resources you need.
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Advocate for yourself. Transitioning into adult care can be daunting. Our CHWs help you every step of the way. They will give you the tools you need to effectively speak up for yourself so that you become your own best advocate.
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Apply for Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP (food stamps). With our CHWs’ expertise, you will be able to breeze through the process.
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Understand your health insurance options. Our CHWs will help you decide on the options that work best for you and your family.
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Connect on the National Sickle Cell Registry.
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Connect with transportation.
Supporting your transition from pediatric to adult care
It’s hard enough managing your busy life – especially as a teenager or young adult who has sickle cell disease. While we can’t help you with your calculus homework or future career choice, we can give you great advice on how you can better manage and improve your health.
Our Transition program focuses on people with sickle cell disease age 16 to 25 who are moving from pediatric care into adult care. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trained and certified to support you during this important transition.
Our CHWS can help you:
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Better understand your medical conditions and treatments
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Plan for work and career
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Plan for technical school or college
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Apply for medical insurance
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Locate support groups
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Working with the medical community to achieve better health outcomes
Here’s how CHWs work with medical professionals:
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Promote the health and well-being of individuals with sickle cell disease. CHWs provide a wide range of services, including outreach, home visits, health education, client-centered counseling, and care management. Their comprehensive approach to advocating for our patients ensures that they receive the best possible care.
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Strengthen and improve the entire continuum of care. CHWs work alongside the medical community to help patients navigate through the many challenges of continuing care from newborns to adults.
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Improve adherence to health recommendations. Our CHWs remind patients to keep their medical appointments and to take medications as directed.
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Address medical and social barriers. CHWs work with you to identify and remove barriers.
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Support transition to adult care. Our Transition program focuses on individuals living with sickle cell aged 16 to 25 and helps them move successfully from pediatric care into adult care, which is critical for better health outcomes.
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Improve patient health outcomes. CHWs can help you improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery, increasing your patients’ use of health care services when needed, and helping to reduce unnecessary hospital re-admissions and/or emergency room visits.
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Inform patients of ongoing research and clinical trials. Our CHWs can team up with you to make sure sickle cell patients have the latest information on medical advances and trials that could improve their health.
