Kristin Godfrey Walters

Hi, everyone. I'm Kristen Godfrey Walters, and I'm the Community Health Worker Training Program Director at the Minnesota Department of Health, where I work with this fabulous team of community health workers.

Hi, everyone. I'm Kristen Godfrey Walters, and I'm the Community Health Worker Training Program Director at the Minnesota Department of Health, where I work with this fabulous team of community health workers.

And I've also had the opportunity to work with community health workers for many years, where I previously worked at a safety net hospital and clinic system, implementing community health worker programs and services. So happy to be here with this wonderful team.

And I've also had the opportunity to work with community health workers for many years, where I previously worked at a safety net hospital and clinic system, implementing community health worker programs and services. So happy to be here with this wonderful team.

Sure. Sure.

Sure. Sure.

And I'll welcome others to chime in as well, but I would say right now, at least the current state in Minnesota, in the structure of, uh, of, of community health workers, for example, in a healthcare system, it's usually the provider or the community health worker themselves doing identifying the patient and kind of doing the outreach or introducing themselves, um, you know, community organizations, um,

And I'll welcome others to chime in as well, but I would say right now, at least the current state in Minnesota, in the structure of, uh, of, of community health workers, for example, in a healthcare system, it's usually the provider or the community health worker themselves doing identifying the patient and kind of doing the outreach or introducing themselves, um, you know, community organizations, um,

do a similar things or insurance companies where they may be identifying patients either based on that individual relationship, understanding what barriers or challenges that a patient or our member or community member may be having. So it could be kind of from the provider perspective

do a similar things or insurance companies where they may be identifying patients either based on that individual relationship, understanding what barriers or challenges that a patient or our member or community member may be having. So it could be kind of from the provider perspective

or looking at systems information to see, oh, that all of these, this group of patients has diabetes and could benefit from a community health worker. So in kind of current state, it's usually the, again, the clinic, the provider,

or looking at systems information to see, oh, that all of these, this group of patients has diabetes and could benefit from a community health worker. So in kind of current state, it's usually the, again, the clinic, the provider,

the insurance company, the nonprofit community agency kind of identifying either individuals or groups of individuals and connecting the community health workers or having the community health workers make connection through outreach and relationships. And so I don't know that we're in a place yet in Minnesota where an individual, a patient, your mom may know to ask

the insurance company, the nonprofit community agency kind of identifying either individuals or groups of individuals and connecting the community health workers or having the community health workers make connection through outreach and relationships. And so I don't know that we're in a place yet in Minnesota where an individual, a patient, your mom may know to ask

or say, hey, I could utilize the assistance of a community health worker. And that's something that we're hoping that we're working on in this grant work that we're doing together between MDH and the Community Health Worker Alliance and other partners.

or say, hey, I could utilize the assistance of a community health worker. And that's something that we're hoping that we're working on in this grant work that we're doing together between MDH and the Community Health Worker Alliance and other partners.

and just the alliances doing in the state in general is to really try to build the community health worker workforce so that there's a larger workforce and to build the awareness of who community health workers are and how to connect with them. But I would welcome anyone else if there's other perspectives here as kind of the current state in Minnesota.

and just the alliances doing in the state in general is to really try to build the community health worker workforce so that there's a larger workforce and to build the awareness of who community health workers are and how to connect with them. But I would welcome anyone else if there's other perspectives here as kind of the current state in Minnesota.

But right now, I think that's the landscape that I'm familiar with.

But right now, I think that's the landscape that I'm familiar with.