Community Health Workers During COVID-19: Supporting Their Role in Current and Future Public Health Responses

Betsy Rodriguez1, Magon Saunders, Denise Octavia-Smith

  • 1Divisions of Diabetes Translation (Ms Rodriguez and Drs Saunders and Ballard) and Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (Ms Moeti), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; National Association of Community Health Workers, Boston, Massachusetts (Ms Octavia-Smith); and FHI 360, Washington, District of Columbia (Mss Pellechia, Fragueiro, and Salinger).

Summary

Community health workers (CHWs) are vital for health equity and connecting communities to care. CHWs need enhanced training, safety, workplace, and mental health support to address health disparities.

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