Primary Care Plus (PCPlus) Applicants: Community Health Worker Environmental Scan Template Now Available 

Apr 21, 2022

What is PCPlus? 

PCPlus is a new MaineCare service model that supports primary care practices to deliver high-quality primary care. The PCPlus rule is currently proposed and under review, and we anticipate that this policy will be adopted with a future effective date of June 21, 2022.  If your primary care practice is interested in applying to PCPlus, the application period is currently open. However, you do not need to re-apply if your practice has already applied to one of the previous application periods. 

Why is a Community Health Worker Environmental Scan needed? 

If your primary care practice would like to be considered for one of the higher levels of reimbursement available under the PCPlus model, your practice will need to complete a Community Health Worker Environmental Scan as part of the application process and submit it to PCP-Network-Services.DHHS@maine.gov by July 31, 2022. 

How can I find out more about Community Health Workers? 

On May 18th, the Department is holding a webinar on the role of Community Health Workers. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Community Health Workers.  Please see more details below: 

WEBINAR: Community Health Worker (CHW) Webinar 

A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member and/or has a close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.   

CHWs are a growing healthcare workforce in Maine, and there is strong evidence supporting CHWs' ability to improve health outcomes by connecting patients with community resources and supporting healthcare teams. Healthcare organizations are not always aware of the opportunities for engaging with CHWs.   

In this webinar, you will:   

• Learn about the role of CHWs 

• Participate in a Q&A session with a Maine CHW 

• Hear about CHW-engaged interventions and how they help 

Webinar date and time: 

Wednesday, May 18th from 12:00 –1:00 p.m.   

Registration information: 

Register at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvfu-qqDIrGdJvWTdNfYaPARnYq1AGX0z3    

Webinar questions? 

If you have questions, please contact Benjamin Hummel of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, a program of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.