“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) indicated 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. Arizona
is one of the States where an in-depth investigation
of the CHW workforce will be included as part
of the overall study.
