A CHW is a frontline health worker who is a trusted member and/or has a close understanding of the community served. Community health workers:

• Serve as an essential link between health and social services and the community
• Promote quality and culturally competent service delivery
• Foster individual and community capacity
• Improve health outcomes

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:

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

40 ideas: Significantly expand community health workers in central Indiana. Indianapolis Business Journal. 2021

Community Health Workforce Development Institute, Purdue University. (2020). Indiana community health worker needs assessment report.

---