$3M grant for SCSU faculty to train health care workers

SC State has taken the lead in establishing the training program, which will benefit surrounding Black communities, especially counties along the Interstate 95 Corridor.

This grant award will be housed in the SC State Health Equity Research and Training Center (HERT-C), focusing on recruiting, training and enabling the next generation of minority community health workers. Students will receive training based on the core competencies for CHW and public health certifications that follow state, local, and other guidelines to support essential public health services.

Dr. Audrey McCrary-Quarles is project director, and Dr. Ashley Evans Knowell is co-director.

High school students, college students and community members will be equipped to address health disparity and improve health equity in rural South Carolina. These individuals will contribute to diversifying the public health workforce, which is needed to effectively communicate health information to the target population, Black individuals living in rural SC counties.

Utilizing CHWs who resemble the target population — individuals of the same race and background — will be beneficial and necessary to impact health equity in these rural neighborhoods. According to McCrary-Quarles, Blacks tend to receive information, especially health-related information, more readily from another Black individual than other races due to the long history of racial encounters and discrimination.

“This timely grant is another testament to the tireless effort of SC State’s Biological and Physical Science Department to offer solutions to health disparities in minority communities here in South Carolina and the nation as a whole,” said Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu, dean of the SC State College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation. “The grant will facilitate the recruitment, training, and equipping of the next generation of minority community health workers.”

Dr. Mable Scott, acting chair of the SC State Department of Health Sciences’ Health and Physical Education Programs, said the Community Health Worker Program is needed to address the growing health disparities plaguing rural South Carolina communities.

“The program will provide healthier outcomes for all individuals by training the next generation of community health workers to connect with underserved populations and share health information effectively,” Scott said. “The director and co-director, with their knowledge and experience, will be able to ensure the success of this grant, which will open the door for future endeavors to help improve health equity in South Carolina.”

Students will receive training based on the core competencies for CHW and public health certifications that follow state, local, and other guidelines to support essential public health services. After receiving this training, CHWs will be better prepared to enhance the health of their friends, family and community.

“This program is a great opportunity for the faculty and students. Being able to train community health workers is essential for today’s climate, especially with the impact of health disparities in rural communities,” said Dr. Lakeisa Tucker, acting dean of the SC State College of Graduate and Professional Studies. “This grant will allow students to engage in new skills and enhance the skills they are already gaining in their program of study at the university.

“There are endless opportunities that will come out of this grant, and I am excited for the students and the university,” said Tucker, who also serves as acting chair of the SC State Department of Human Services and coordinator of the Social Work Program.

Dr. Judith D. Salley, chair of the SC State Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, said the project will tremendously impact students, faculty, staff, and the Orangeburg community.

“We are excited to keep the momentum going in working to improve the quality of life for the university community and surrounding communities while training the next generation of minority community health workers,” Salley said. “With such a talented and passionate team leading the project, I know we will accomplish these goals and much more.”

Both McCrary-Quarles and Knowell will serve as CHW instructors and assist in developing modules for the curriculum. McCrary-Quarles will direct the project to ensure success in making measurable progress toward stated goals, operating within budget, following federal policies, and submitting required reports on time.

McCrary-Quarles is a professor of health education, an established Certified Health Education Specialist, and a community-based participatory researcher in the Department of Health Sciences.

She has extensive experience working with students in career preparation and mentorship, developing curriculums (such as the COVID-19 Health Coach Training Module), conducting training sessions, and planning and implementing community engagement and outreach through previous grant work. She strongly advocates promoting health and wellness among rural minority communities.

Knowell is an associate professor of biology/bioengineering sciences and an established health disparities researcher in the SC State Department of Biological & Physical Sciences.

She has extensive experience working with high school students and the community through previous community grant activities, which include a COVID-19 vaccine grant to investigate hesitancy among Blacks. Knowell has a history of mentoring and training students and collaborating with community members to improve health outcomes.