Community Health Worker Research & Workforce Development
Community health workers — trusted members of the communities they serve — are among the most powerful tools we have for reaching populations that the health system has left behind. Our lab conducts research on CHW-delivered interventions across a range of health conditions, trains CHWs as research partners and community-based health educators, and contributes to the evidence base for CHW workforce development and policy. We co-design training programs with CHWs and the communities they serve, and advocate for the formal recognition, compensation, and expansion of this critical workforce.
We collaborate with community health workers (CHWs) across many of our projects. The Community Health Workforce Development Institute (CHWDI) was created in 2020 by Dr. Natalia Rodriguez, Dr. Jasmine Gonzalvo, Dr. Ashley Meredith, and Dr. Yumary Ruiz. CHWDI aims to expand the CHW workforce to increase access to health and social services in Indiana communities that need it the most. The institute’s core functions are:
1
Sector-based workforce development
Create sustainable CHW jobs at clinical, community-based, and academic partner organizations.
2
CHW professional development
Provide core competencies and sector-specific skillsets trainings that are accessible and affordable.
3
Evaluation and policy advocacy
Evaluate the progress and outcome of the institutes initiatives. Support evidence-based policy for formal integration and reimbursement of CHW services, and workforce infrastructure.
Selected Publications
Rodriguez, N. M. (2022). Community health workers in the United States: Time to expand a critical workforce. American Journal of Public Health, 112(5), 697–699. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306775
Rodriguez, N. M., Ruiz, Y., Meredith, A. H., Kimiecik, C., Adeoye-Olatunde, O. A., Kimera, L. F., & Gonzalvo, J. D. (2022). Indiana community health workers: Challenges and opportunities for workforce development. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 117. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07469-
Gonzalvo, J. D., Meredith, A., Adeoye‐Olatunde, O., Kimiecik, C., Pastakia, S., Rodriguez, N., … & Karwa, R. (2022). A call to action from the Purdue University Center for Health Equity and Innovation. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 5(8), 865-874. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1660
Community Health Workforce Development Institute, Purdue University. (2020). Indiana community health worker needs assessment report.
Health TechQuity Lab 