A bill by Sen. Luz Escamilla seeks to establish a state certification process for community health workers. Escamilla’s bill also would allow health institutions to unlock Medicaid dollars to fund the duties of community health workers.
Nisi La'a delivers a bag containing COVID-19 at-home tests, masks, a thermometer and pulse oximeter to a home Wednesday, Feb. 02, 2022. La'a is a community health care worker with Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources.This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.
La’a loaded the items in her car’s trunk next to a stack of water bottles. In less than ten minutes she was outside their home, had walked up the family’s snowy driveway and left the package by the front door. The community health worker had scheduled more deliveries for the day but was forced to cancel them because of the unexpected road conditions. She then headed back to her downtown Salt Lake City office to help another family with a rent relief application.
Throughout the pandemic, community health workers like La’a have worked on the frontlines to deliver critical health information and resources to diverse communities that are often not reached by traditional medical doctors or other health care services. Community health workers, who often belong to the communities they serve, act as a liaison between a specific group of people and medical institutions.
“The needs are as diverse as those we serve,” said Oreta Tupola, a program coordinator for the Utah Public Health Association. “Part of our expertise is knowing the communities we serve.”
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