title: A cost analysis of a community health worker program in rural Vermont.
abstract: Studies have shown that community health workers (CHWs) can improve the effectiveness of health care systems; however, little has been reported about CHW program costs. We examined the costs of a program staffed by three CHWs associated with a small, rural hospital in Vermont. We used a standardized data collection tool to compile cost information from administrative data and personal interviews. We analyzed personnel and operational costs from October 2010 to September 2011. The estimated total program cost was $420,348, a figure comprised of $281,063 (67%) for personnel and $139,285 (33%) for operations. CHW salaries and office space were the major cost components. Our cost analysis approach may be adapted by others to conduct cost analyses of their CHW program. Our cost estimates can help inform future economic studies of CHW programs and resource allocation decisions.
authors.affiliation: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-72, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA, amirambeau@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Alberta M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mirambeau
authors.forename: Guijing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Laural
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruggles
authors.forename: Diane O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Dunet
mesh_terms: D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D014707:Vermont