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The PathFinder program is a three-year grant-funded pilot, a health care access initiative of the Multicultural Healthcare Alliance that employs PathFinders as community health workers. PathFinders are  bi-lingual, bi-cultural members of the Somali, Cambodian, and Hispanic communities who have experienced the acculturation process. Through their experience and skill, PathFinders teach people in their communities how to:

§         Independently access appropriate healthcare;

§         Communicate effectively with physicians; and

§         Access resources when needed (interpreters, social workers, business services for insurance applications, etc.).

Although PathFinders focused on healthcare access, their role quickly expanded to include connecting clients with other services that would meet pressing life issues (financial assistance and social service agencies for food, clothing, day care, rental/utilities assistance).

Success of the Pathfinder Program is attributed to:

§         Creation and maintenance of partnerships in the community and in healthcare systems

§         Thorough assessment of needs

§         Flexible program design that incorporated input from community and adapted successful models used elsewhere

§         On-going evaluation process that allowed for continual program modification and improvement

While PathFinders have been helpful in teaching members in their community, an equal contribution has been to help identify systems’ barriers in healthcare access. The cooperative partnership of the Alliance and the PathFinder program(Acrobat Reader Required) facilitated resolution of systems’ issues that improved access to culturally competent care, such as improvements in appointment making processes, interpreter availability, signage, and patient education materials.

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