BELFAST — MaineHealth Waldo Hospital recently welcomed two new Community Health Workers, Terri Aldus and Dianna Wilson, to their Community Health department. They join a team of CHWs across Knox and Waldo counties dedicated to helping community members bridge gaps in accessing care.

The CHW program is designed to help community members who have historically faced barriers to accessing health care, such as lack of transportation, insurance or housing; discomfort with navigating the medical system; or food insecurity access resources to help overcome these challenges. This assistance is provided at no cost and allows CHWs to work with clients for a period of three months.

Aldus comes to MHWH from Autumn of Life HomeCare/Manzo Corp in Brewer, where she worked as a CNA assisting clients with mobility issues, monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and more. Before that, she spent two years at Homecare of Maine in Farmington and six years at The Residents at Tall Pines in Belfast. She is a graduate of Belfast Area High School and earned her certified nursing assistant certification from Waldo Vocational School in 2004.

Wilson comes to MHWH from MaineHealth Behavioral Health, where she worked as a youth peer support partner for two years, and Commensense Housing, where she worked as a DSP/CRMA for more than four years. She is currently enrolled at Kennebec Valley Community College pursuing a degree in health information.

In their positions, Aldus and Wilson will go out into the community, working with clients throughout Waldo County to connect them with resources to help manage their health and set goals.

“A lot of the challenges we help clients navigate have to do with living in a more rural setting,” said Richard “Dick” Morin, a CHW at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital who serves clients in Knox County. “The lack of resources compared to urban settings can hold clients back on taking the next steps in their health journey.”

Once a CHW puts in a referral for resources, it’s often accompanied by a waiting period. To help combat this, a CHW’s ability to connect with community members can prove invaluable when a result is needed quickly.

“The personal connections we make with people can potentially help speed up referrals and get our clients an answer they are waiting for or the resources they need,” said Adi Govinda Dasa, another CHW at MHPBH who also serves clients in Knox County.” If our original resource option doesn’t work out, we pivot and brainstorm alternates for our clients. We always try to create a positive outlook and keep a positive mindset through the process for everyone.”

The CHW program is open to patients 18+ who live in Knox or Waldo counties. Patients are referred through providers and community partners, including food pantries and soup kitchens, schools, shelters and Community Action Partnership (CAP) agencies.

For more information, call 301-3950 or email chacommunityhealth@mainehealth.org.