Case · 03
Community Health Worker
Reconnecting a CHW to chronic care
Member
Anonymous
Service line
Community Health Worker
Location
Coachella Valley, CA
Duration
6 months of CHW-led coordination
01 —
The outcome
A Spanish-speaking member with type 2 diabetes hadn't seen a doctor in two years. Their CHW arranged an interpreter, coordinated medication refills, and arranged transportation. A1C dropped by 2.4 points in six months.
A1C −2.4 in 6 months
Headline result for Anonymous.
11.2 → 8.8
A1C
2.4-point reduction in 6 months.
100%
Visit attendance
Across primary, endocrinology, and eye care.
0
Missed insulin days
Tracked weekly via CHW visits.
12
Clinical visits coordinated
Each with in-language support.
02 —
Background
Where the member started.
A 61-year-old monolingual Spanish-speaking member with type 2 diabetes had disengaged from primary care after a confusing interpreter-less visit two years earlier. Insulin had lapsed; A1C at re-entry was 11.2.
In their words —
“Por primera vez en años, entendí lo que el doctor me decía. Mi CHW no me trató como un número — me trató como su vecina.”
— CHW Member, Coachella Valley
03 —
The challenge
What stood in the way.
- 01
A1C of 11.2 with no active glucose monitoring.
- 02
Language access failure had eroded trust in the health system.
- 03
No reliable transportation to the assigned clinic 40 minutes away.
- 04
Cultural and dietary mismatches with prior nutrition counseling.
04 —
Our approach
How we built the plan.
Move 01
A bilingual, bicultural CHW from the same community as the member.
Move 02
Always-present interpretation for every clinical touchpoint, not just the first.
Move 03
Closer-to-home PCP reassignment plus covered transportation as a default.
05 —
The solution
Step by step, what we actually did.
- 01
Month 1 — Re-entry visit
CHW accompanied the member to a Spanish-language clinic; insulin restarted, CGM placed, and a 30-day plan agreed.
- 02
Months 2–3 — Daily habit support
Weekly home visits reinforced glucose checks, medication timing, and culturally-aligned meal swaps.
- 03
Months 4–6 — Step-down and self-management
Transitioned to biweekly check-ins; member began leading her own appointments and reading her own glucose trends.
06 —
Services involved