Los Angeles, CA, – March 20, 2024 – OutCare Health, a leading 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting health equity for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, announced its continued collaboration with Pear Suite, a digital health company specializing in community health worker (CHW) empowerment and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). Together, they are proud to participate in the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)’s statewide training initiative, Caring4Cal, aimed at bolstering the Home-and-Community-Based Services (HCBS) workforce and promoting health equity.
Caring4Cal stands committed to catering to the distinct healthcare needs of rural communities, children with complex medical conditions, individuals with disabilities, and older adults within the Medi-Cal population. Endorsed by HCAI, the program has enlisted 21 Grantee Training Partners, including OutCare Health and Pear Suite, to provide complimentary training courses in multiple languages, accessible both in-person and online.
“Traditionally, healthcare in the U.S. has centered upon medical procedures, medication prescriptions, and sending patients to institutionalized care settings to treat illnesses. However, a better understanding of SDOH – such as food access, housing transportation, education, social connectivity, etc. – and the crucial role they play in a person’s wellbeing and health outcomes has shifted perspectives and changed the way care is managed and delivered,” said Colby Takeda, CEO and co-founder of Pear Suite. “We recognize the importance of empowering and uplifting the frontline public health workforce to address SDOH in a culturally sensitive, person-centered way. We anticipate our training initiative will benefit over 1,000 CHWs, and we greatly appreciate the HCAI’s support in making this possible.”
The Caring4Cal program has already allocated $1,600,000 in incentives to over 9,000 learners, aiming to enrich their knowledge and amplify the healthcare workforce. The program continues to enroll new applicants, offering licensed or certified healthcare providers, as well as CHWs/Promotores/Representatives, access to a plethora of free training courses to advance their skills, knowledge, and professional development in HCBS. Among Pear Suite’s offerings are courses in cross-cultural communications, LGBTQ+ affirming care, Medi-Cal reimbursement, motivational interviewing, and engaging with diverse communities. The program is scheduled to run through May 2024.
OutCare and Pear Suite first partnered in June of 2023 to harness social determinants of health (SDOH) data to better connect patients with affirming providers and vital community health resources.
To learn more or apply, please visit Caring California. To access free LGBTQ+ health equity training, visit outcarehealth.org/chw.
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About OutCare Health
OutCare Health is a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health equity for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. OutCare’s mission is to empower LGBTQ+ people with comprehensive information, resources, support, and education, including an affirming healthcare provider directory, mentorship, training, research, community building, support groups, webinar series, blogs, and much more. OutCare’s vision is to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person has access to quality healthcare and feels empowered to live their healthiest, most authentic life. To learn more about OutCare, visit outcarehealth.org and follow on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
About Pear Suite
Pear Suite is a digital health company that empowers community health workers to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). Through Pear Suite’s social care navigation platform, health plans, providers, and community-based organizations can boost member engagement, improve health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care in a person-centered, culturally, and linguistically centered way. Pear Suite has supported dozens of organizations and impacted more than 25,000 lives by driving improvements that are often overlooked in the healthcare landscape. The company’s unique ability to combine software with tech-enabled services is significantly impactful for older adults, ethnic minority groups, and other medically-underserved groups. For more information, please visit pearsuite.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
