WellAware Community Health Worker Program: Enhancing Brain Health Literacy in Charlottesville and Surrounding Rural Communities   

The WellAware Community Health Worker (CHW) program, housed within the Population Health Department at the University of Virginia, is collaborating with the UVA Brain Institute and the Department of Neurology on a new initiative to enhance brain health literacy in Charlottesville and the surrounding rural communities.    

The project’s key objective is to leverage the CHWs’ strong community relationships—built through home visiting and sharing lived experience—to improve individual and community understanding of brain health, especially around stroke prevention and early dementia screenings. CHWs will receive specialized training to provide hands-on patient education. To demonstrate the mechanism of a stroke, they will have life-sized model brains with vascular systems that patients can handle and explore.   

Betsy Peyton, Founding Director of WellAware, says of the project, “WellAware already serves as a bridge between the health system and patients who experience access challenges to care. Adding a brain health literacy focus is a natural expansion for us. We know that 40-60% of dementia cases go undiagnosed until the moderate or severe stages, delaying access to treatment and support. Similarly, stroke is the #1 cause of long-term disability in Virginia. We’ve worked hard to develop community trust, and we’re well-positioned to meet patients where they are and teach them in a way that makes sense in their own lives.”   

“Last year, we had new teaching materials that focused on cancer screenings. Some of my patients asked me to bring the “cancer kit” to their homes multiple times, so that they could invite family members to receive our memorable teaching too.” Rural CHW DeAnna Harris adds, “I’m excited to start using the brain health kits with my patients this year. People are hungry for teaching that’s presented in a way that really sinks in. They don’t feel shy to ask me questions, and the good information spreads through the grapevine.”  

Program activities include:  

Training: CHWs receive comprehensive training on brain health and early detection techniques.

Educational Materials: Brain health kits include interactive model brains, a “Memory Palace” activity, lesson plans written at a 5th grade level to be broadly accessible, and tools to demonstrate the power of art and music for dementia patients, such as a “Name that Tune” singalong game with music of the patient’s era played on small speakers.

Community Events: WellAware is hosting two upcoming free community events: Healthy Streets/ Healthy People event on Saturday, July 12th in Washington Park. A screening of the Global Brain Health Institute’s film “Keys, Bags, Names, Words” at the Center at Belvedere this fall (date TBA). The screening will be accompanied by a discussion led by Dr. Virginia Gallagher, Assistant Professor of Neurology at UVA.

Referrals: One outcome goal is a 20% increase in appropriate UVA Health Neurology referrals among other patients.   

By enhancing patient health literacy, encouraging early intervention, and strengthening connections between at-risk individuals and neurology specialists, this initiative is set to make a lasting impact on community health.     

“We are deeply grateful to our partners at the UVA Brain Institute for their generosity and their vote of confidence in WellAware. Their support through the new $10,000 Community Engagement Pilot Grant will empower the CHW program to expand its impact,” Peyton said. “This funding not only strengthens our ability to serve the Charlottesville community and surrounding rural areas, but also reinforces the importance of collaborative efforts to improve brain health literacy and equity. We look forward to the meaningful change this initiative will bring.”