Community Health Workers
Our Goals
To help build capacity statewide to improve community health worker (CHW) access to funding, training, and partnerships to support Dane County community health workers in doing their work sustainably and effectively.
Why It’s Important
Community health workers support communities by addressing social barriers to health like housing and economic security. They are a key partner of family medicine physicians in advancing health equity. We need to support developing CHW capacity and power to sustain the CHW workforce and build trusting physician-CHW partnerships.
Building Connections
The Dane County CHW Collective builds partnerships by bringing together community health workers from a variety of nonprofit and government organizations in our community.
What We’ve Done
Supported and brought together the Dane County CHW Collective. Since 2019, the collective has come together to build a space for collaboration and support. It is a community where CHWs across Dane County can share skills and lessons learned. We also provided opportunities to connect with external partners such as local health departments, local nonprofits, university researchers, and family physicians.
Partnered on a statewide COVID-19 grant to build CHW capacity statewide and locally. Through this grant, we engaged Dane County CHWs in the care and support of priority populations at the highest risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. Grant funding helped us connect family medicine physicians to CHWs on shared goals and supported statewide CHW technical assistance.
What’s Next?
Developing stronger, grant-funded partnerships between the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and Dane County CHWs. Part of helping CHWs sustain their work is obtaining sustainable funding for partnerships and projects. We envision our department playing a key role in partnering with CHWs when applying for grants that advance health equity.
Supporting joint funding opportunities with CHWs and other external partners. Funding could come through health care reimbursement, grants, or philanthropy. We are collaborating with CHWs to ensure they are an active part of decision-making in this work.