On Jan. 14, 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a major new report on the key role that community health workers play in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities among Massachusetts residents. The report, Community Health Workers in Massachusetts: Improving Health Care and Public Health, was produced by the Community Health Worker Advisory Council, a group of public and private sector leaders convened as a result of the landmark 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law. The report was unveiled by Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby and Department of Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach at an event at the State House.

"As we continue to address issues of health care access, cost, and quality, this report provides valuable information about effective models for improving the health of vulnerable populations," Bigby said. "We thank the Community Health Worker Advisory Council for its hard work, thorough research, and creativity in recommending opportunities for strengthening health systems in Massachusetts. We will use this report to inform our work on reforms in primary care to develop patient-centered medical homes."

The umbrella term "community health worker" refers to public health workers who typically come from the communities they serve and focus their efforts in home and community-based health education, outreach, advocacy and health system navigation. The report found that Massachusetts has nearly 3,000 community health workers working under various job titles in hospitals, community health centers, immigrant and refugee service providers, public health programs and other settings across the state.

In preparing the report, the Community Health Workers Advisory Council found strong evidence showing that CHWs are effective in:

• Assisting individuals and families to obtain and maintain health insurance;
• Increasing access to and use of preventive education, screenings and treatment services;
• Reducing unnecessary use of urgent care;
• Improving self-management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure; and
• Strengthening patient health literacy and culturally competent provider practices.

DPH Commissioner Auerbach said, "This document will not only influence work in Massachusetts, but it also adds to the growing national body of evidence that community health workers need to be integrated into health care reform at all levels."

The report also found significant challenges for the CHW work force, including low wages, high turnover, and limited job security due to a dependence on grant funding. The report includes 34 recommendations related to four categories — professional identity, workforce development, financing, and infrastructure development — as ways to address these challenges.

The full text of Community Health Workers in Massachusetts: Improving Health Care and Public Health is available online from the Department of Public Health at http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/com_health/com_health_workers/legislature_report.pdf.   The Department of Public Health has, in response to the recommendation for statewide infrastructure, established the Office of Community Health Workers: www.mass.gov/dph/communityhealthworkers.

You can download a version of this press release in available foreign languages:

·         Portuguese (PDF) | Word

·         Spanish (PDF) | Word

For more information, contact Gail Hirsch, Director, Office of Community Health Workers at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, gail.hirsch@state.ma.us, (617) 624-6016.