A unique model of the community health worker: the MGH Chelsea Community Health Improvement team.

With current trends in legislation around the delivery of patient care, the role of a community health worker (CHW) is gaining growing and much deserved attention. However, a system needs to be built for any CHW program to be successful and sustainable. This article describes a unique approach to community health work at the Massachusetts General Hospital Chelsea HealthCare Center where a well-integrated CHW model provides support for everyone involved in patient care: patients, providers, the community at large, and the internal CHW staff.