Community Health Workers “101” for Providers and Other Stakeholders . J. Ambul Care Management. 33 (3)210-220 

Today’s ambulatory care providers face numerous challenges as they try to practice efficient, patient-centered medicine. Community Health Workers are nationally recognized as important members of the health care workforce who are vital to achieving healthcare goals in the United States. This overview article provides guidance to providers, administrators, payers, and other interested partners for implementing recommen­dations to integrate community health workers into multi-disciplinary health care teams to prevent and manage chronic diseases. This article explains how community health workers can be engaged to address many patient- and system-related barriers currently experienced in ambulatory care practices.

CHWs are front-line public health workers who serve as a trusted bridge between community members and health care providers. Among their varied roles, CHWs can educate and support patients in managing their risk factors and diseases and link these patients to needed resources. As shown in this overview, including CHWs as members of multidisciplinary care teams has the potential to strengthen both current and emerging models of healthcare delivery.

This article serves as tool for state agencies and others who partner with provider groups, healthcare administrators, and payers.  It acknowledges challenges faced by providers; explains how CHWs can help meet the challenges; illustrates CHWs as an emerging occupation; provides examples of CHWs’ contributions in ambulatory settings; and explains how providers and other stakeholders can understand the distinctive role of CHWs in multidisciplinary healthcare teams and can integrate CHWs into healthcare delivery; and provides tips for a good working environment for CHWs.

This article will help CHWs and CHW supporters to: 

•            Educate stakeholders. Before providers and healthcare delivery systems (public and private) will consider reimbursement for CHW services or hiring CHWs as part of their staff, they need to clearly understand who CHWs are, and how they can contribute to patient-centered care and improvements in patient and provider satisfaction.  Additionally, they need to be aware of the basics related to recruiting, training, and supervising CHWs.

·        Educate advocates at the state and local levels on the beneficial outcomes for the public’s health of integrat­ing CHWs into the health care system.

·         Use this paper as a tool to be broadly shared and explored with partners, as a part of an ongoing dialogue and advocacy for the  uniform training of CHWs, workforce development, evaluation, occupational regulation, and financing mechanisms for sustainable employment, and other appropriate systems and or policy changes.