Priority Health Community Health Workers recognized with Mosley Award for extraordinary community health worker service
(Grand Rapids, Mich. – Sept. 20, 2021) Priority Health is pleased to announce that its team of Medicaid Community Health Workers (CHW) were awarded the Mosley Award for Extraordinary Community Health Worker Service at Spectrum Health’s 14th Annual Community Health Worker Conference. The Mosley Award recognizes and acknowledges a CHW team that exemplifies accountability, compassion, integrity, respect, teamwork and collaborates to achieve significant and impactful accomplishments. Priority Health’s team of CHWs were recognized due to their dedication and creativity in serving members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Priority Health Choice Inc. provides Medicaid coverage to over 167,000 Michigan residents in 20 counties throughout West Michigan and the team of six designated CHWs supports members in navigating a complicated health system, breaking down barriers to accessing care, linking members with valuable community resources and providing hope to those who often feel lost and forgotten. When schools, provider offices and many community resources were forced to close in 2020 due to the pandemic, the team of CHWs asked permission to remain out in the field, taking the initiative to first develop safety procedures and being sure to comply with state mandates.
Starting with Priority Health’s most vulnerable members, children with special health care needs, they made outreach telephonically to families to ensure their basic needs were being met. Between October 2019 and December 2020, the team of six CHWs completed a total of 7,095 calls and 499 home visits, ensuring that members had access to food, household supplies, diapers/wipes, formula, masks and hand sanitizer. Additional deliveries were made to members who were in quarantine with limited social supports who otherwise would not have been able to secure basic needs.
This commitment led to a positive trend in reduction of unexpected utilization, implying that the CHWs are not only meeting the needs of members day-to-day, but are also having an impact on their overall health outcomes.
“The CHWs at Priority Health not only step in when a member has a crisis and help them weather the storm, they also help the member pick up and rebuild with a strong foundation,” said Nichol Scholten, Medicaid Case and Disease Management Supervisor at Priority Health. “I am extremely proud of our CHWs and the willingness they exhibit each and every day to help anyone they meet who may be in need of assistance. It is with pride that I recommend the Priority Health Community Health Worker Team for The Mosley Team Award for Extraordinary Community Health Worker Service.”
Priority Health’s CHWs previously won the Mosley Award in 2018. To learn more about Priority Health, visit priorityhealth.com.
About Priority Health:
With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.