Regional collaboration to support CHWs: The New England experience

In the spring of 2012, the first New England Regional Community Health Worker Summit was held in New Hampshire. The summit was hosted by the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers and supported in part by US Department of Health and Human Services Region I, Office of Minority Health. The Summit brought together CHWs, employers, federal agencies, state/local health departments, payers, CHW trainers and other stakeholders from across HHS Region I to: ensure a common understanding of the CHW workforce; discuss the potential of the CHW workforce to impact health both in and beyond the health care system; and seek opportunities for collaboration across state lines. Over 50 potential participants from various sectors were invited to attend the Summit. Ninety-nine percent of those invited accepted the invitation and participated fully in the 2-day Summit. The New England Regional CHW Summit has been a catalyst for the early development of CHW organizations in other NE states, an ongoing collaboration with HHS Region I and an emerging NE CHW Coalition. The presenters will discuss the process to identify stakeholders, including CHWs from around the New England region and engage them in ongoing collaboration to advance and support the CHW workforce. The experiences shared by the presenters can be replicated in other regions to ensure ongoing promotion and integration of the CHW workforce to promote health in and beyond the health care system. The presenters include CHWs and all were Summit participants.