KHN: Community Health Workers, Often Overlooked, Bring Trust To The Pandemic Fight

KHN: Community Health Workers, Often Overlooked, Bring Trust To The Pandemic Fight
For 11 months, Cheryl Garfield, a community health worker in West Philadelphia, has been a navigator of pandemic loss and hardship. She makes calls to people who are isolated in their homes, people who are sick and afraid and people who can’t afford their rent or can’t get an appointment with a doctor. The conversations always start with a basic question: “Tell me about yourself.” She wants to know her clients before she figures out how she can help. “Sometimes a patient just needs somebody to listen to them, so you just listen,” said Garfield, 52. (Cohen Marill, 2/8)