Community Health Workers

Community Health Workers (CHW), being the term adopted by the Washington State Department of Health and many clinical organizations, are an important workforce for health and human service organizations, agencies, and in community.

“CHWs play a critical role in the health of their communities, linking diverse and underserved populations to health and social service systems. Based on their life experiences and roles as health influencers within their communities, CHWs work to reduce social and racial disparities in health care. CHWs can improve health outcomes and the quality of care while achieving significant cost savings.” — WDOH

The term CHW also includes promotores de salud, community health representatives, peer educators or navigators, outreach coordinators, health advocates, early intervention specialists, doulas, and more.

Learn more about this workforce, and what we are doing in the North Sound to support these workers in professional development, pay equity, cultural competency, and more.