Beebe offers community health worker program scholarships

Thanks in part to $750,000 in Sussex County American Rescue Plan Act grant funds, Beebe Healthcare is offering scholarships for Delaware Tech’s Community Health Worker course.

The funds also support the launch of Beebe Healthcare’s Community Health Worker program and will allow Beebe to hire a total of six health workers over the next 18 months. Positions will be posted online at beebehealthcare.org/careers.

“Community health workers are the connectors – they connect individuals to the care teams and social services needed to improve health outcomes, empower them to more successfully manage their conditions, and as a result, help enhance an individual’s quality of life,” said Kim Blanch, BSN, RN, Beebe Healthcare population health director of community outreach.

Anyone interested in enrolling in the community health worker program is encouraged to reach out to Jillian Whitney, Delaware Tech Workforce Development and Community Education Department chair, at jillian.whitney@dtcc.edu or 302-259-6364.

The 250-hour CHW certification course is designed to prepare students to work as frontline public health workers who are trusted members of the community served. Community health workers serve as liaisons, linking health and social services agencies with community members to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.

The course consists of 210 hours of lecture and 40 hours of internship experience. A limited number of scholarships will be available through the Next Generation Community Health Workforce Collaborative.

Delaware Tech began the program at its Wilmington campus and expanded it in 2021 to the Stanton and Georgetown campuses to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities, especially in underserved communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, community health workers are effective at connecting community members to needed health and social services, and improving the quality and cultural competence of health service delivery.