York News-Times Reprint
Written by Parker Garlough
| The Four Corners Health Department is assembling a team of community health workers, Executive Director Laura McDougall said at the York County Leadership Update on Thursday. Community health workers are responsible for facilitating connections between the health department and medically underserved members of the community. At Four Corners, they will promote healthy behaviors, advocate for people’s needs and provide medical services such as blood-pressure screening. It’s part of a larger project, but the health department isn’t ready to share details with the public yet. “There’s going to be probably more that we can talk about in the future on this,” McDougall said. “There’s starting to be some movement on … transforming the health care system in Nebraska.” Four Corners’ community health worker team will have 10 members. “We’ve identified some folks, but I still need a few more,” McDougall said. “Please, if anybody’s interested in working up here and is interested in a community health worker position, I’d really like to have your application.” A high school diploma is required. Higher education or relevant experience is “a plus,” according to the job description. Funding for the new positions will come from the Rural Health Transformation Project, a federal grant funneled through the state of Nebraska. Other local health departments will also receive funding for community health workers. The Rural Health Transformation Project may also result in funding for other public health programming at Four Corners, particularly related to preventive care. The department is still in conversation with the state about the details. Four Corners has also recently expanded its behavioral health team, which provides services including mental health therapy and addiction counseling. “They have been very busy, and because they’ve been so busy, we have hired another,” McDougall said. The new behavioral health provider, Becky Hoffschneider, started March 30. “She has experience in treating people throughout the lifespan,” McDougall said. “She has specialized in children and adolescents, and she has several clinical certifications in treating trauma and related disorders.” |
