Empowering Community Health Workers to Achieve Health Equity
A CHW is a frontline health worker who is a trusted member and/or has a close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as an essential link between health and social services and the community to facilitate access and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.
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 to advocate for the hugely important role of community health workers in healthcare delivery and public health. Dedicated to health equity, CHWDI’s overarching objective is to expand the Indiana CHW workforce in order to increase access to health and social services for vulnerable communities while also increasing employment opportunities for community members. In partnership with the Indiana Community Health Worker Association (INCHWA), and guided by a Steering Committee of state-wide thought leaders in health and social services and other key stakeholders, CHWDI is taking a multi-pronged approach toward this goal through the following core functions:
Sector-based workforce development
To create sustainable CHW jobs at clinical, community-based, and academic partner organizations throughout Indiana.
CHW professional development
That is accessible and affordable, ensuring core competencies and sector-specific skillsets needed and identified by partner organizations.
Rigorous research and evaluation
To support evidence-based policy for formal integration of CHWs at a systems-level and improved public and private reimbursement mechanisms for all CHW services on levels that are commensurate with a living wage.
Related 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-
- Community Health Workforce Development Institute, Purdue University. (2020). Indiana community health worker needs assessment report.
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