Community Health Workers: A Holistic Solution for Individual and Community Health

Abstract

Community Health Workers (CHWs) go by many names, including outreach workers, patient navigators, peer health educators, and lay health advocates. CHWs help people overcome obstacles by accompanying them through treatment, monitoring needs for food and housing, leading education campaigns and empowering community members to take charge of their own health. As members of the communities they serve, CHWs establish relationships of trust with those they serve, bridging the gap between the clinic and community. Community Health Workers embrace a holistic conception of health, working not only in health care, but also with the social determinants of health such as poverty, education, and housing.