A New Course at MIT Means More Community Health Workers

March this year saw the commencement of a brand new course for Community Health Workers at MIT.

Community health workers are employed by Primary Health Organisations as the link between the community, intersectoral services and health care providers. Their role is one of support for the patient, their whaanau and also the health professionals.

They advocate for patients, assist with transport to appointments at GP’s and outpatient clinics. A large focus of their work involves health promotion activities and patient education.

The course has been divided into 4 parts which run across the year primary health care, promoting health and wellness, health systems and services and practicum.

The aim of employing community health workers is to:
- Develop the communities capacity to manage their own health and wellbeing,
- Assist with identifying those families at risk,
- Encourage stronger community involvement
- Facilitate patient attendance at appointments
- Improve patient access to services
- Assist clients to access non government and government organisations.

The graduands are all working for Primary Health Organisations (PHO) and have been attending class part time across the year as well as working for their PHO’s.

Managers and team leaders at the PHO’s have given very positive feedback about the graduands. They are pleased by the growth in confidence of the students as the course has progressed and how they have grown in all areas of their work. It has been rewarding to hear of the excitement the students take back to their workplace as they have gained new knowledge and a greater understanding of why their job is so important.

There will be 16 course participants who will graduate at a ceremony to be held at Nga Kete Wananga Marae at Manukau Institute of Technology on Thursday 13th December at 2pm. It is anticipated that this will be a celebration of another collaborative venture between the Department of Nursing and Health Studies at MIT and Counties Manukau District Health Board. It will also be acknowledging the success of the graduands as well as recognising the effort and commitment of the various employers, the graduands, their families and their work colleagues for without them this course would not have been a success.

Courtesy of Counties Manukau DHB and Jenni Lyuk.

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