Not Without Community Health Workers You Don't

While health reform seems unobtainable, in 2006 it became a reality in Massachusetts. The entire country watches as Massachusetts implements its health reform law. A section of that law included language about community health workers (CHWs). This section, named section 110, was drafted by CHWs, thus they provided their input into health reform since the beginning. As a result of Section 110, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) was mandated, with the guidance of the Community Health Worker Advisory Council, to provide recommendations to the legislature about how to develop a public health infrastructure to promote and sustain the CHW workforce. While CHWs were welcome to join the working groups of the CHW Advisory Council, CHW participation was low. Knowing that the CHW workforce would be greatly impacted by these recommendations and they must be engaged in these discussions, the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW), facilitated regional meetings across the commonwealth to educate CHWs on the discussions occurring at the CHW Advisory Council and to document the opinions of CHWs regarding a certification program. Having open regional meetings allowed MACHW and MDPH to learn from a variety of CHWs with varying experiences and issues. The qualitative data from the regional discussions have shaped MDPH's recommendations and some of the data will be presented in the report. The CHW presenters will highlight the process of assuring the voices of CHWs are heard before making policy recommendations. The findings from the regional meetings will also be discussed.