Daniel Ramirez starts his day on the road, on his way to meet the first of four patients, Ernest Sykes, in Wilmington. Daniel, who grew up in the city, has a passion for helping others, which led him to his role with Novant Health as a community health worker.

“I’ve known this community for a long time and I learned the barriers in my community. People have a sense of trust in me and they expect the best out of me. So, I want to offer the best that I can to help them,” Ramirez said.

Novant Health’s community health workers serve as liaisons between patients and the health system. Novant Health doctors and team members refer a patient to community health workers if they think the patient could benefit from the extra help they offer.  Workers perform at-home visits to patients experiencing social determinants of health and barriers to care, like a lack of transportation, housing or access to food or medications. They connect patients to resources in the community and from Novant Health to meet their needs.

“The main goal of it all is to empower people to take the next step in their health and using the tools that we offer,” Ramirez said.

This confidence to take hold of their health often results in lower readmission rates and less visits to the emergency department.

Community health workers are advocates for their patients, too. Daniel helps Ernest schedule follow-up appointments with care providers, ensuring he has transportation to get there and a reminder of the upcoming appointment. Before leaving, Daniel jots down a few of Ernest’s questions for the doctor and gives him a pamphlet with care instructions.

“We’re not here to do anything else other than understand [patients], understand their needs, understand their barriers. We’re here to help them,” Ramirez said.

Patients like Ernest express their appreciation for the extra help on the road to recovery, and how it builds trust between communities and their health systems. Having a designated teammate to partner with while following a care plan is welcomed support when overcoming barriers to care.

“It means a lot to me for [Daniel] to help me out. I don’t think anybody would have done what he’s done for me,” said Sykes.

For more information on Novant Health and the community health workers, click here.