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"Community Health Worker" (CHW) is a
term inclusive of many job titles, such
as community health advisors, lay health
advocates, promotoras, outreach
educators, community health representatives,
peer health promoters and educators, etc.
The common general attribute is that the
CHWs are members of, or have a close relationship
to, the community served. They generally
are lay members of an underserved community
who work in association with the health
care system to offer interpretation and
translation services, provide culturally
appropriate health education and information,
assist people in getting the health services
they need, provide informal counseling
and social support, advocate for individual
and community health needs, and provide
direct services such as first aid and
blood pressure screening.[38]
The Community Health Worker National
Workforce Study (described below) will
compute a set of estimates for paid CHWs
using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's
Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) and
Staffing Patterns data from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics for every State in
the country. In addition, an estimate
of the number of volunteer CHWs will also
be calculated at the State and national
level. Results from the National Community
Health Advisor Study (1998) indicate that
there were at least 12,500 CHWs working
throughout the United States.
The Community Health Worker National
Workforce Study, which began on October
1, 2004, under a 2-year contract by the
RCHWS at The University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), Bureau of Health Professions,
is aimed at drawing an accurate profile
of the CHW workforce. The study consists
of a thorough analysis of the quality
and size of CHW employment and potential
job market. Data on the number of paid
and volunteer CHWs, their duties, work
conditions, compensation, training/education
and career opportunities are collected,
organized, verified, and explained. The
study also examines related issues, such
as training and credentialing standards,
the availability of funding streams for
education and compensation as well as
current State/Federal policy trends and
options. The final report will provide
a national profile and detailed assessments
of the CHW workforce in four States that
will inform policy and strategic interventions
on existing application of CHW capabilities
in improving access, reducing disparities,
and enhancing quality improvement and
cost-containment efforts.
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