The HAP Foundation Program Logo 2023 Center for Learning

The demand for healthcare professionals will continue to grow as our population ages and we live longer. We are committed to identifying and developing programs that will address some of the workforce shortages in the area of serious illness.

The HAP Foundation believes that by identifying, training, and integrating more Community Health Workers (CHWs) into the workforce, significant improvements can be made in increasing access to care for people living with serious illness in historically underserved communities. CHWs can help fill the gaps in health care delivery and improve health outcomes by reducing the burden on other health care providers by taking on non-clinical tasks. CHWs are frontline public health workers who are members or have a deep understanding of the communities they serve. CHWs are vital to increasing access to serious illness care in historically underserved communities.

Click on the links below to learn how HAP is supporting this initiative.

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Community Health Worker – Serious Illness Upskilling

With approximately 2,000 Community Health Workers in Illinois*, The HAP Foundation offers opportunities to increase their understanding of serious illness care. Through upskilling, Community Health Workers can expand their knowledge and network to offer more education about and improved access to serious illness care in their communities.

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Resources

Understanding the Situation

If you or someone close to you has just received a diagnosis, or you have been living with a serious health issue for some time, it may be helpful to stop and think about the following: Make a List of Your Questions. Some of your questions may be answered as you read information provided here.…

What is Palliative Care?

People with serious illnesses often live with physical and emotional pain. Palliative care is specialized medical care that helps to manage patient symptoms, focuses on improving quality of life for both the patient and their family, and makes living with a serious illness easier.  The palliative care team works with the individual’s current doctors to…

Selecting a Palliative Care Provider

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a serious illness, are having difficulty managing symptoms, or have had multiple hospitalizations or emergency room visits, palliative care may make your life and that of your family much easier. A more in-depth overview of palliative care and the support it can provide can be found…

What is Hospice Care?

The goal of hospice is to allow people with a life-limiting illness to live fully and comfortably with the precious time they have left. A hospice team will focus on the quality of life of the whole person and provide pain management, emotional and spiritual support tailored to meet the wishes and needs of the…

Selecting a Hospice Provider

Just like selecting any other medical care, if you or someone you care about needs the support of hospice, it is important to find a provider that is a good fit. Click here to learn more about hospice care. There may be a number of organizations that provide care in your area. If your doctor…