Community Health Workers at Health Action
Health Action is the premier conference for health care advocates from across the country. Hundreds of advocates gather every year to get updated on federal and state policy, build skills and networks, and share best practices for advancing health care policy that improves access, affordability, and health equity.
Our Health Action conference has been a fantastic strategic opportunity to raise awareness about the value of community health workers and how advocates can advance sustainable funding of their tremendous work and promote the integration of CHWs into health care teams. Through plenaries, interactive workshops and networking opportunities, Health Action has elevated CHWs among hundreds of advocates and has helped advocates and CHWs from diverse states connect and learn from one another’s efforts.
Download CHW presentations from our most recent Health Action conferences to learn more.
Health Action 2018
Racism, Women’s Health, and Child Outcomes
- Culture and the Community Based Doula: Strengthening Communities through a Culturally Centered Model of Care, Chanel L. Porchia-Albert, Ancient Song Doula Services
The Many Benefits of Community Health Workers Across Settings and Populations
- Re-Entry Community Linkages (RE-LINK), Phillip Brooks, St. Louis Integrated Health Network
- Birthing Beautiful Communities, India Robertson, Birthing Beautiful Communities
- Using Outreach Workers to Serve the Immigrant and Latino Communities, Fernanda Ruiz, Mary’s Center
State and National Organizing to Sustainably Fund Community Health Workers
- Community Health Workers: Multi-disciplinary Effort to Promote CHW Sustainability in a Bi-state, Regional Community, Broderick Crawford, KC Regional Community Health Worker Collaborative
- The Story of PA 17-74 (SB 126), Dr. Tekisha Everette, Health Equity Solutions
- National Organizing for CHW Sustainability, Wandy Hernandez, National Association of Community Health Workers
Health Action 2017
Funding and Integrating Community Health Workers through Medicaid
- An Introduction to Community Health Workers, Ellen Albritton, Families USA
- CHW Program and Sustainability: Financing and Integration with Medicaid Managed Care, Charlie Alfero, Southwest Center for Health Innovation
- Funding and Integrating Community Health Workers through Medicaid: Massachusetts,Gail Hirsch, MA Department of Public Health
Promising State and Local Strategies to Improve the Health of Women of Color
- Promotores de Salud, Rosita Castillo, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
- Peer Models, Wandy Hernandez, HealthConnect One
Health Action 2016
Using Innovative Workforce Models to Improve Access and Reduce Disparities
- CHW Model for Population Health, Carolina Nkouaga, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Community Health Workers and Promotores Tackle Disparities in Diverse Communities
- Paulo Freire’s Education Empowerment Model as a Community Health Empowerment Tool: Promotores de Salud Carlos Londoño, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc.
- First Nations Community HealthSource Community Health Worker Model Linda Stone, First Nations Community HealthSource
- Community Health Worker Models in Asian American Communities Nadia Islam, New York University School of Medicine
- Community Asthma Prevention Program: Improving Asthma Outcomes through Closing the Circle of Care, Tyra Bryant-Stephens, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Health Action 2015
Tackling Health Disparities Using Delivery System Innovations in Medicaid
- Scaling Up Community Health Worker Strategies: Workforce Innovation for Advancing Health Equity & Achieving the Triple Aim, Joan Cleary, Minnesota Community Health Worker Alliance
- “Hotspotting” & the Camden Coalition, Crystal MacDonald, Faith in New Jersey
Families USA is grateful to The Kresge Foundation for its support of the Community Health Worker Sustainability Collaborative.
CHW Collaborative Goals
- Raise awareness among health care advocates, providers, and policymakers of the value of CHWs for increasing prevention, improving outcomes, reducing disparities, and bending the health care cost curve.
- Create and disseminate educational resources that highlight successful CHW models, viable pathways for sustainable funding, and other best practices.
- Partner with advocates and other stakeholders to advance sustainable funding for CHWs.