Community Health Workers (CHW) are a long-standing, trusted, community-rooted public health workforce that helps individuals and families access care, navigate complex health and social service systems, connect to resources, manage chronic conditions, and improve health and well-being.

CHWs are dedicated to meeting people where they are, serving patients not only through health centers, but at shelters, schools, and community-based organizations.

The CHW field has existed in the United States for over 60 years, and workers provide services in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania. CHWs deserve to be recognized for their unique role, as their work emphasizes building relationships with patients based on lived experience, cultural understanding, and trust.

Providing formal recognition to these valued providers can help support long-term investments to ensure that CHWs can continue to serve residents of the Commonwealth. Please join me in co-sponsoring this resolution to designate October 20 as Community Health Worker Awareness Day in Pennsylvania.