Today we spoke with Tyra Jones, the lead community health worker trainer at the SIU School of Medicine. Listen as we discuss their health center's ECHO program for training community health workers. We also discussed how simulations and shadowing during training improve community healthcare.

We’re joined by Mia Webster Cross, Chief Community Program's & Outreach Officer at Family Christian Health Center. Learn about how this health center improves community care by leveraging their innovative community health worker program, hosting pop-up community events, and scaled up outreach.

Today's episode is the second of four in the peer recovery series. Our guest, Nathan Zeller from Chestnut Health Systems shares the steps Chestnut has taken to create a peer recovery friendly work place for their employees. We talk about the importance of supporting employees in recovery as well as organizations hiring peer support specialists in the mental health and substance use disorder space.

Today's episode is one of four that focuses on integrating peer recovery specialists into primary care. In this first episode, guests Charmaine Robertson and Chris Slone from Crossing Healthcare discuss the steps Crossing took to integrate peer recovery specialists into their current SUD services. They also touch on how they fund their current peer recovery services.

Yash Patel from Pillars Community Health Care has a unique background as an engineering candidate working at a health center. We discussed process improvement, EMRs, addressing care gaps, and how different perspectives on quality initiatives can improve patient outcomes.

We speak with Dr. Anthony Schalf from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) about preventative medicine. Preventive Medicine is a medical specialty focused on assessing and promoting the health of populations. Whether it’s called public health, community health, or population health, the idea is a focus on the health outcomes within a defined population, not just an individual patient. Join us to learn more about how FQHCs can work with Preventive Medicine trained providers.

In part 2 of our season 2 premiere, we talk about improving food access, income inequality, access to healthcare, housing, and transportation with Lacey Johnson of Erie Family Health Centers. We dive into strategies and programs that improve the quality of public health in Illinois.

Resources Mentioned:
- LISC – Organization that funds Uber Health at Erie: https://www.lisc.org/chicago/
- Northern IL Food Bank: https://solvehungertoday.org/- Erie’s research page: https://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/research/#sdoh

In the season 2 premiere, we discuss the social determinants of health, such as food access, income inequality, access to healthcare, housing, and transportation with Lacey Johnson of Erie Family Health Centers. We dive into strategies and programs that improve the quality of public health in Illinois.

Resources Mentioned:
- LISC – Organization that funds Uber Health at Erie: https://www.lisc.org/chicago/
- Northern IL Food Bank: https://solvehungertoday.org/- Erie’s research page: https://www.eriefamilyhealth.org/research/#sdoh

Triste Smith, Chief Strategy Officer for Near North Health, gives an overview of their employee engagement program, “Joy@Work”, and explains the importance of “joy” to the program. Triste discusses the importance of employee feedback to a successful engagement program and shares some advice for other health centers who might want to launch a similar program.

Molly Robey, Director of Employee Experience and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Officer at Chestnut Health Systems joins IPHCA Health Talks to discuss their FQHC’s robust employee wellness program. Drawing from her experience with the program rollout, she shares advice for getting started, encouraging employee participation, measuring progress, and more.