Health Workers Begin Using HUB

posted 9/7/22 -- LCCAA’s Pathways HUB is a conduit for new ways to help low income residents of Lorain County.

In partnership with Mercy Health, four Community Health Workers have begun reporting their encounters with pregnant women through the new HUB system, said Asst. Director Nina Brooks.

“They meet with pregnant women and they guide them,” Brooks said. “They are so knowledgeable and they love what they do. Whatever the need is that’s where they step in.”

Community Health Workers strive to improve the social determinants of health. They connect patients with a variety of supports that can change their health outcomes for the better. Services can include anything from connecting patients with food pantries to helping them enroll in job training programs.

The HUB is funded by a grant from the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. Brooks is working to secure its formal certification as well as make connections with additional partners. It’s not her first foray into health care either.

After working in community hospitals in Michigan, Brooks moved to Ohio and worked as a certified application counselor for Lorain County Health and Dentistry. She also served as a caseworker for Job and Family Services and a director with Certus, a group which operates nursing homes.

“I always had a love for people so I always had to be where I was helping,” Brooks said, adding that she is confident the HUB will attract attention. “I believe in this. We can get there and once we do, other people are going to want to get involved.”

Learn more about the HUB by contacting Brooks at [email protected].