PRESS RELEASE: HCAN celebrating Community Health Workers’ dedication

Health Care Access Now (HCAN) trains Community Health Workers (CHWs) through its certification program. It also employs CHWs to work one-on-one with participants in its Pregnancy and Family Health Care Coordination and Adult Health Care Coordination programs. CHWs work with program participants to remove barriers to good health outcomes. 

HCAN is holding a day of celebration for CHWs to honor their dedication and hard work.

• Sponsored by Amerihealth Equitas and Interact for Health, CHW Day will take place on June 6, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Mercy Health Bond Hill offices.
• The event will feature speakers, including HCAN’s founder Judith Warren.
• The celebration theme is self-care for CHWs. Activities will include games, yoga, and a mindful painting exercise.

All 12 Hubs in Ohio simultaneously celebrating CHW Day, and any member of the public is welcome to join in the celebration. CHWs make a tangible difference in the health and wellbeing of traditionally marginalized community members throughout the region, and their work in this sphere deserves to be recognized and honored.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a vital role in Health Care Access Now (HCAN)’s mission and operation. HCAN, the Pathways Community Hub Institute (Hub) director for the region, trains CHWs through its certification program. The Hub acts as a framework around which CHWs build relationships, discovering and providing resources to eliminate obstacles to care coordination participants’ good health and well-being.

HCAN is hosting the second annual CHW Day this year on June 6, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mercy Health Bond Hill offices at 1701 Mercy Health Pl. in Cincinnati. This event is meant to celebrate CHWs and give them an outlet for self-care. It is sponsored by Amerihealth Equitas and Interact for Health. Simultaneous celebrations will also be occurring at the 12 Hubs around Ohio.

“The work CHWs do is essential,” says Sarah Mills, CEO of HCAN. “It’s a demanding role that requires a lot of mental and emotional strength. That’s why we need to acknowledge their hard work and emphasize how important it is that they take care of themselves.” 

Activities at CHW Day will include games, yoga classes, and a mindful painting exercise. These celebratory components are meant to introduce new ways for CHWs to make self-care a priority, demonstrating that self-care is both necessary and fun.

There will also be speakers who discuss the link between CHWs and HCAN’s mission to bring health equity to the Cincinnati region. Included among those speakers is Judith Warren, who founded HCAN in 2009. 

“CHWs are the feet on the ground,” says Mills. “There are a number of components to furthering health equity, including policy change, but CHWs make the personal connections and the tangible differences in community members’ lives and health outcomes.”

CHWs have been shown to make a real impact among care coordination program participants in underserved communities. They help to remove barriers to good health outcomes for new parents and their children, as well as for people suffering from chronic health issues. The second annual CHW Day recognizes their efforts and importance.