2021 Incentive Grant Recipient: Katelyn Wees, PharmD
Residents and their Preceptors
Project Proposal: Community Health Workers and Pharmacists: An Assessment and Proposed Model for Integration
Katelyn Wees, PharmD, currently serves as the PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident at HealthLinc in Valparaiso, IN.
This project will aim to assess pharmacist perceptions of and experiences with community health workers. Using this information, we will propose a model for the integration of community health workers into a variety of pharmacist service models.
I have always been passionate about helping the underserved. Racial and ethnic health disparities have existed for centuries and the United States must be open to new solutions for how to address and overcome these inequalities. Community health workers have exhibited benefit when added to the healthcare team, particularly in chronic disease state outcomes and adherence to preventive care recommendations, but there does not yet appear to be an effective model of interaction between a pharmacist and a community health worker.
I am so incredibly honored to receive an Incentive Grant this year. Both community health workers and pharmacists have shown that they are well-equipped to produce strong positive outcomes in chronic disease management, but there is still a gap in literature regarding the community health worker-pharmacist relationship. I cannot wait to utilize this funding to further explore this innovative link between pharmacists and patients.