LifeCircle Education: Perspectives on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams in South Dakota

Overview:

Palliative care access in rural communities can be a challenge, in part, due to workforce challenges. Community health workers can help expand access to other types of care, but what about palliative care? This session will summarize recent research on the perspectives of current palliative care providers and advocates on integrating community health workers into palliative care teams in South Dakota and will suggest opportunities for further discussion.

Presenter: Angela Kroeze Visser, Ph.D., MPH

Angela recently completed her dissertation research on community health workers in palliative care from the University of South Dakota. She also holds an MPH in Community Health Education from the University of Minnesota and has worked for more than 15 years in community public health roles. Her work with communities to identify and address health needs fuels her interest in helping implement programs in ways that are sustainable. In addition, Angela currently serves as the Director of the Kielstra Center for Research and Grants at Dordt University.