Health Promotion

Community Health Worker Program

Background l Topics l Resources l CHW Sites

Our community health worker (CHW) training program, based on national models and in collaboration with community organizations, trains and supports CHWs who provide health promotion and disease prevention education to at-risk populations in medically underserved areas. CHWs are community members who work almost exclusively in community settings and promote health among groups that have traditionally lacked access to adequate care. CHWs come from the same neighborhoods and share the same cultural experiences as the people they serve, thus bridging the gap between healthcare agencies and local communities.

CHW Conference Participants 2010

Background

The roles of CHWs are to provide culturally appropriate health education; assure people get the services they need; give information about illnesses and how to prevent them; and teach the basics about common health problems. Documented benefits include improved health outcomes and lower costs; reduction of emergency room and hospital visits; decreased barriers to medical care; increased trust between clients and the health care delivery system; and timely use of services and better compliance.

Topics

Health disparities are a population - specific difference in the presence of disease, health outcomes, or access to care. CHWs in our area cover the following topics: cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, immunization, and cardiovascular disease (e.g. stroke, obesity, smoking, breastfeeding, etc.).