Through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, many states are preparing to invest in community health worker (CHW) workforce initiatives to strengthen rural health systems and expand access to essential services. CHWs are trusted, non-clinical health professionals who draw on their lived experience and community relationships to provide health education, care navigation, and social and emotional support. Strong evidence demonstrates the impact of CHWs in improving health and social outcomes, including access to primary care services, leading to more CHWs being integrated into interdisciplinary teams within health systems, clinics, community-based organizations, and health plans.

This webinar, a product of the Center for Health Care Strategies’ (CHCS) Evidence-to-Action Hub, will feature CHW programs in Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia, to highlight lessons on expanding access to CHW services in rural communities. Speakers will discuss strategies for supporting these programs, including considerations for program design; training, certification, and accreditation; and engagement with CHWs and key stakeholders.

Agenda 

I. Welcome and Introduction 

Speaker:  Megan Terrell, Program Officer, CHCS 

M. Terrell will welcome participants and provide an overview of the CHW workforce and evidence of its impact.  

II. Opportunities to Strengthen CHW Programs Through the Rural Health Transformation Program  

Speaker: Annie Cloke, Director of Public Partnerships, IMPaCT Care 

A. Cloke will describe opportunities for states to strengthen their CHW workforces, including an overview of how states have included CHW initiatives in their RHTP applications.

III. Building Effective CHW Initiatives in Rural Communities 

Speakers: 

• Brea Burke, Program Manager, Tennessee Community Health Worker Association (TNCHWA) 

• Amy Moseley, Director of Development and Community Engagement, Healing Hands Health   

• Lindsay Miller, Project Director, Connected Care for Older Adults 

B. Burke will share her experience as a CHW serving people in rural areas, insights on CHW training, and the Tennessee Community Health Worker Program Accreditation initiative, a partnership between TNCHWA, TennCare (Tennessee’s Medicaid program), and the National Committee for Quality Assurance.  

A. Moseley will share how her organization serving rural Tennessee and Virginia regions established a CHW program, addressed recruitment and retention barriers to provide CHW services, and measured patient impact.  

L. Miller will describe a care model in Oregon centered on CHW services for rural older adults and highlight early evidence on how this model has improved patient and provider experience, while decreasing emergency department visits and hospitalizations. 

IV. Audience Q&A  

Moderator: Logan Kelly, Senior Fellow, CHCS