Rhode Island has developed a plan to expand and sustain the role of community health workers (CHWs) to improve health equity. With input from 140 leaders, including many CHWs from marginalized communities, the state redefined CHWs' roles to include connecting people to resources and advocating for systemic change. Using federal funding, Rhode Island invested in CHWs as part of … [Read more...] about Integrating Community Health Workers in Rhode Island — A Roadmap toward Health Equity
United States of America
Integrating community health workers into HIV care clinics: a qualitative study with health system leaders and clinicians in the Southern United States
Community health workers (CHWs) play a valuable role in improving HIV care by helping patients stay engaged. This study explored the integration of CHWs into HIV clinics in Mississippi and New Orleans. While CHWs were seen as helpful for patient support, challenges included unclear roles, funding issues, and system adjustments like accessing records and conducting home visits. … [Read more...] about Integrating community health workers into HIV care clinics: a qualitative study with health system leaders and clinicians in the Southern United States
Preserving Patient Dignity with Cultural Humility in Healthcare: A Narrative Inquiry of Hispanic Community Health Workers (CHWS) in Texas
Cultural humility training has been widely adopted in healthcare to address disparities, but Community Health Workers (CHWs), who work closely with communities, are often overlooked in this area. This study uses CHWs’ personal stories about race and ethnicity in healthcare to enhance a cultural humility framework and improve education for health professionals. … [Read more...] about Preserving Patient Dignity with Cultural Humility in Healthcare: A Narrative Inquiry of Hispanic Community Health Workers (CHWS) in Texas
Community Health Worker Outreach to Assess Confounders of Health
In July 2020, a family medicine clinic developed a system to help COVID-19 patients isolate safely by connecting them to community resources through Community Health Workers (CHWs). This study examined how the system was designed, implemented, and maintained. Interviews with clinic staff showed that flexibility and CHW expertise were key to the system's success. The main … [Read more...] about Community Health Worker Outreach to Assess Confounders of Health
Witnessing for Black mental health: Formative steps for designing a community-based mental health education intervention
After a racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, a partnership developed culturally tailored mental health programs for the local Black community. Researchers interviewed community health workers and focus groups of community members to identify barriers like stigma, cost, and poverty, and risks such as lack of social support. Participants showed growing openness … [Read more...] about Witnessing for Black mental health: Formative steps for designing a community-based mental health education intervention
