The Community Health Worker (CHW) Section invites abstracts that explore the vital role CHWs play in advancing health, healing, and wellness across every stage of life. We welcome submissions that illuminate how CHWs strengthen communities, bridge systems, and promote thriving from birth through older adulthood. Submissions that connect to the 2026 Annual Meeting theme, “Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan” are strongly encouraged.
Invitation to Submit:
Centering CHW Leadership:
We enthusiastically encourage abstracts led or codeveloped by CHWs. Reviewers award additional points for CHW involvement, please clearly describe—within the abstract body—how CHWs contributed to the development of the work and whether they will participate in the presentation. Because reviewers do not see author lists, this description is essential for accurate scoring.
Abstract Requirements:
For the CHW Section, the abstract word count minimum is 250 and the maximum is 400.
Priority Areas for 2026
We welcome domestic and international submissions that highlight CHW impact, innovation, and lived expertise across the lifespan. We are especially interested in abstracts and session proposals addressing:
JOINT SESSION NOTICE:
Community Health Workers in Public Health Education and Health Promotion (organized jointly with the Community Health Worker section)
PHEHP and CHW sections are seeking abstracts related to interdisciplinary approaches among CHWs and public health entities to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors and chronic disease self-management. Priority will be given to abstracts focused on: (1) the 2026 theme, "Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan"; (2) models/frameworks of successful collaborations between CHWs and public health or medical professionals; and/or (3) the role of CHWs in the delivery/maintenance of clinical care and chronic disease self-management. Abstracts will be reviewed by both the CHW and PHEHP sections.
- IMPORTANT NOTES FOR SUBMISSION -
Presentation Format:
The CHW Section will organize a minimum of 6 – 8 oral sessions, 2 poster sessions and 2 roundtable sessions. If you are interested in a roundtable presentation, please indicate in the abstract body and/or in the notes section.
We welcome proposals for innovative, interactive or hands-on workshop for an entire 90 minute session. If you would like to propose such a session, please indicate in the notes section of your submission AND reach out to the program planners chwsectionprogram@gmail.com .
Other notes:
- Interactive and participatory presentations that use adult education techniques are especially encouraged. Be sure to include specific details about the interactive/participatory components in your abstract to assist reviewers in scoring your abstract appropriately.
- Please be conscious of power dynamics implicit in your language. We discourage the use of phrases like “using CHWs” or “our CHWs,” especially if you are not a CHW yourself. Instead, try stating one of the following: “employing or partnering with CHWs” and “our CHW colleagues,” or “the CHWs on our team.” If this language is included in your abstract and it is accepted, we may ask you to change your abstract verbiage.
- Abstracts, both domestic and international, will be considered, based on the content outlined in this call. We welcome presentations in languages other than English! PLEASE NOTE: the abstract submission must be submitted in English. We will work with the presenter directly to set up interpretation for their session.
- Please advise the program planners if you submit for an entire session at: chwsectionprogram@gmail.com
-Scholarship opportunities for limited travel assistance through the Sewell Foundation may be available for CHW presenters. Please contact the CHW program planner for more details - chwsectionprogram@gmail.com.
Shontel Minor, MPH
shontel.minor@txaheceast.org