OMAHA- A new, nearly $3 million federal grant opens the door for the University of Nebraska Medical Center to recruit and train 240 “community health workers” as frontline soldiers seeking to eradicate health disparities across the state.

The funding, over a three-year period, comes from the Health Resources and Services Administration to the UNMC College of Public Health.

The grant will significantly expands the states community health worker program, which has seen an increasing need.

Dejun Su, Associate professor at UNMC aside, “Community health workers are uniquely positioned to help us address social determinants of health and bridge the gap between the health care system and underserved communities."

He said participants of the program will work with health care providers and community organizations to improve patient access to care. They’ll help families and individuals with translation, enrollment in medical services and connections to community-based agencies.

Enrolled trainees at first will undergo 10 weeks of learning core competencies, followed by individualized, on-the-job training for eight weeks to earn a certification.

A team of faculty, training site managers and community health workers are to create the curriculum for the program.

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