Virginia CHW Workforce Development Council

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VIRGINIA CHW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Virginia (VA) Community Health Worker (CHW) Workforce Development Council identifies and promotes policies and systems-level strategies to advance and sustain the CHW workforce.

The council convenes CHWs, CHW program representatives, and stakeholders who focus on expanding the CHW workforce to achieve health equity, reduce racial imbalances, and address health disparities. IPHI facilitates ongoing engagement to ensure diverse voices set priorities and direction in policy, promotion, and sustainability of CHW programs.

The council is made up of three committees:

Curriculum, Training, and Certification
Financing Measurement and Evaluation
Policy and Communication

The council and its three committees meet quarterly. If you’re interested in becoming a member, click: here.

Resources:

The council will meet virtually and bi-monthly on the second Wednesday of the month. The upcoming dates include:

April 12, from 2 to 4 p.m.
June 14, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The committee meetings will be held in between the full council meetings.

To learn more about the Virginia CHW Workforce Development Council, please contact Program Manager Kelly Evans at kevans@institutephi.org or visit: www.chwva.org.

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Website

ImmunizeVA

A few people wearing masks are showing off their bandaids after receiving a vaccine.

IMMUNIZEVA

ImmunizeVA is a statewide coalition of immunization stakeholders representing medical, public health, nonprofit professionals, parents, and community leaders in Virginia.

Our diverse membership is united in its commitment to the coalition’s vision of a future where the quality and length of life of Virginians are not impacted by a disease that could have been prevented by immunizations.

Together, members work to improve immunization coverage across the Commonwealth in four key areas:

Advocacy
Education
Professional Education
Quality Management

Since it was established in 2020, the coalition has supported the implementation of vaccine clinics in historically under-vaccinated communities, launched social media campaigns to spread awareness about pressing vaccine issues, supported education initiatives surrounding immunization legislation, facilitated numerous presentations for medical and public health professionals on immunizations, and collected timely data on pressing vaccine issues. IPHI serves as the backbone support for ImmunizeVA.

To learn more about ImmunizeVA, please contact immunizeva@institutephi.org or visit: immunizevirginia.org.

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CHWs for a Healthy VA

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CHWS FOR A HEALTHY VIRGINIA

Community Health Workers for a Healthy Virginia (CHWs for a Healthy VA) is a 3-year capacity building project led by IPHI in partnership with a wide range of state and local partners across Virginia.

The initiative is funded through a national grant initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through the project, IPHI and its partners will deploy CHWs as a strategic intervention to assist communities in the response and recovery from COVID-19. The project will also develop and test innovative financing strategies to support the long-term sustainability of CHWs and community resource providers.

IPHI has partnered with numerous organizations across Virginia to hire CHWs to help with recovery and response. Through the grant, community-based organizations, healthcare providers, local health departments, and other partners will hire and deploy CHWs. IPHI will assist with training and provide technical assistance. These partners are addressing gaps in access to COVID-related services, such as testing, vaccination, and quarantine support, and responding to community needs exacerbated by COVID-19, such as access to health and mental health care, housing services, and food assistance.

IPHI is identifying high-priority communities and populations that would benefit the most from CHW interventions. Currently, the project focuses on Richmond and surrounding areas and southwest Virginia’s Mount Rogers area.

CHW regional conveners are working on expanding collaborations, increasing CHW’s presence, and informing external partners about IPHI’s work with CHWs. The following regional conveners are represented in each of the four areas:

Norfolk State University
Healing Hands Health Center
Richmond/Henrico Health District
Virginia Rural Health Association

IPHI works closely with the Virginia Community Health Worker’s Association to highlight CHW voices in Virginia.

Partners in Four Areas of Need

Southwest VA/Mt Rogers

Ballad Health
Healing Hands Health Center
Mount Rogers Health District

Norfolk/Portsmouth

Capital Center of VA (CCVA) – Urban Baby Beginnings (UBB)
Minority AIDS Support Services (MASS)
Sentara Healthcare

Pittsylvania/Danville

Piedmont Access to Health Services (PATHS)
Sovah Health (Life Point)

Richmond/Petersburg

Richmond Henrico Health District (RHHD)
Central VA Health Services (CVHS)
Capital Center of VA (CCVA) – Urban Baby Beginnings (UBB)
Crossover Health Center
Health Brigade
Sacred Heart
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

CHWs for a Healthy Virginia project also intends to address the issue of sustainable financing for CHW programs. Historically, CHW-based community impact models has been limited by a lack of viable financing options. IPHI is developing a framework to identify, pilot, and evaluate CHW and community resource financing models. Then, in collaboration with local partners, IPHI will develop and pilot region-specific financing models for CHW and community resource providers to evaluate and demonstrate the return on investment and social benefits.

This CHW for a Healthy VA project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $4.3 million with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

To learn more about CHWs for a Healthy VA, please contact Senior Program Manager Valerie McAllister at vmcallister@institutephi.org or 804-269-8331.

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