Our own Liz E. is a certified CHW!

Congratulations Liz Elsen on being certified to be a Community Health Worker (CHW), in addition to being an awesome Pharmacy Technician!

What does that mean? What does a CHW do? 

The role of a CHW can vary greatly depending on the company you work for. However, all CHWs are responsible for advocating for the members of their community. 

We help connect people with resources to meet their needs. This could be anything from help with food or housing insecurities, meeting healthcare needs, finding information and support for caregivers, and organizing events that bring members of the community together. There is no charge to the people who receive this service.

The addition of this certification to a licensed pharmacy technician is relatively new. For some technicians, some of these duties fit right in with what they already do for community engagement with their pharmacies, such as vaccine outreach. So, we are excited to see how we can expand this CHW role at The Pharmacy at Wellington.

For those of you who are interested, here is the website of the Arkansas Community Health Worker Association (ARCHWA):

https://www.archwa.org/

Why did you decide to become a CHW?

We learned about the opportunity through CPESN (Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network), and I thought it sounded like a great way to expand upon my role as a technician for the pharmacy.  Brittany (our founder and co-owner) asked if I was interested, and I said yes!

Note: our pharmacist Megan Smith is Academic Facilitator for CPESN Arkansas

What sets you apart from other CHW's?  For example, in your experience, your approach, etc.?

I am part of one of the first groups of pharmacy technicians in Arkansas to have completed this licensing program through ARCHWA!  I also have a unique role since I also work at Harmony Health Clinic, where I am able to use my connections to aid some of our patients with more resources.

Harmony Health Clinic is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), free medical and dental clinic in Little Rock for the uninsured and underserved. 

Those of you who are familiar with us at The Pharmacy at Wellington will know that we have been volunteering at their pharmacy counter and on their Board over the years. fyi, here is a link to their website, and they have a super fun fundraising evening coming up (Saturday, May 3rd):

https://www.harmonyclinicar.org/bollywood-nights

Who do you serve as CHW? Can anyone use your services? How does one get in touch with you? Are appointments required?

Anyone needing help with finding health and/or community resources can just reach out to us at The Pharmacy at Wellington.  They can ask for me on the phone (501-708-4320), and if needed, I'll arrange an appointment for them to come have a meeting in person.

There are no low-income requirements to talk with me about resources and be referred.  We just provide the service based on need. 

It's one way for us to give back to our community and help to improve the lives of those around us. If you know of anyone needing assistance, please feel free to refer them to us.  And if you know of any new resources in the community, please also feel free to let me know!

References and Resources

• CPESN (Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network) Arkansas website - https://cpesn.com/networks/arkansas
  

Note - The Pharmacy at Wellington's blog is written by a human