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Building the capacity of community care givers (CCGs) through extensive trainings on screening and referral practices for hypertension and diabetes. Trainings were provided for CCGs employed by Expectra for HealthRise, as well as for CCGs from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health. Additional trainings on confirmatory diagnosis, clinical support, and follow-up care for patients with diabetes and hypertension were also provided for clinicians and health professionals at public health facilities. Screening individuals for hypertension and diabetes through household and workplace visits and health education campaigns. Patient identification was further targeted through the use of “War Rooms,” in which governmental departments, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders convened to discuss challenges in the local community. Coordinating support and adherence groups in which patients with similar conditions met on a regular basis, often at a health facility, to discuss challenges and difficulties in managing their conditions and treatment programs with providers.
Pixley ka Seme - Project Hope
Project HOPE undertook HealthRise activities in the Emthanjeni sub-district of Pixley ka Seme, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Pixley ka Seme is a largely rural district with high levels of unemployment, crime, and substance abuse relative to other regions in South Africa. Economic growth in Pixley ka Seme is low, in part hampered by a scarcity of water. Patients often experience difficulty accessing health care in the sprawling region with limited transportation infrastructure, and public health facilities are not always adequately equipped or prepared to address the chronic care needs of patients who may suffer from socioeconomic challenges such as poverty or addiction. In order to address these challenges, Project HOPE targeted interventions in the following areas: •
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Promotion of awareness and screening for diabetes and hypertension through the training of community health workers (CHWs) in coordination with the National Department of Health and local community-based health organizations. Provision of follow-up support targeted at diagnosed patients who failed to maintain engagement with the health system, often focused on removing barriers to care such as lack of transportation or conflicts with work schedules. Development of and active recruiting for holistic, post-diagnosis support programs for patients. Support structures included a five-step program aimed at empowering patients, a savings and loan program to provide patients and their families with financial support and stability, and gardening groups to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle.
United States Rice County - HealthFinders Collaborative
HealthFinders Collaborative implemented the HealthRise program in Minnesota’s Rice County, in the United States of America. HealthFinders’ focus is on improving chronic care for individuals who are uninsured or covered under public insurance programs. Much of HealthFinders’ services are utilized by Latino immigrant 18
