Collaborating Across Sectors to Support CHWs

By Barb Short, Senior Director, Sustainability & CSR, Specialty Care & US

In virtually every community in our country, it is often the work of a Community Health Worker (CHW) that unlocks the potential for a child, a family, a senior, a farmworker, and millions of others, to access a healthy life. In recognition of National Community Health Worker (CHW) Awareness Week, Sanofi is deeply proud to partner in the release of a new report Strengthening Public Health with Community Health Workers.

A year ago, our teams at Sanofi, NationSwell, Atlas Clarity, and NACHW saw a gap, a story to tell. We embarked on a collaborative journey, seeking examples of CHW partnership and integration, with our differing perspectives and burning questions.

We asked: What works in communities? What works for CHWs? How might funders, partners, and governments—each of us—better support CHWs while also honoring the self-determination of this unique workforce? And based on interviews with CHWs and CHW network leaders and with partners, employers, and funders, we curated our findings, with replicable examples and insights to build on.

The resulting report highlights examples of impact and sustainability – from programs led by CHWs independently and through community-based organizations and community health center networks, to permanent roles in hospitals, health plans, and more. It finds bright spots of sustainability and impact where CHWs are engaged early in community program design, where CHW expertise and services are compensated, and where the unique value the CHW brings is thoughtfully preserved when integrated into care teams and partner programs. The report also lays out five actions you can take today to effectively support the work of CHWs.

Sanofi has a long history of supporting the CHW workforce, and in the last three years, through various initiatives, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on listening. The extensive listening that informs this report reinforces that a unified, supported U.S. CHW workforce is critical to public health and sharpens the point that local investment in CHWs is critical. We heard loud and clear that while there’s a strong business case for integrating CHWs, Medicaid reimbursement is not a panacea; success requires committed, local action and investment in communities, and across the healthcare ecosystem.

CHWs are especially critical in rural and underserved communities, where over 76 million Americans reside in Health Professional Shortage Areas. They’re critical in crisis response, support access to quality education, built environments, community infrastructure, and economic stability, and play a vital role in helping communities understand health risks, prevent disease and disease progression, and access support for chronic and infectious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cancer and HIV/AIDS.

The full Strengthening Public Health with Community Health Workers report is available for download here. Designed as a discussion starter, the report intends to support conversations during #NCHWAW and beyond. We also invite your examples of where CHW work is effectively supported, sent to info@atlasclarity.com.

We’re grateful to the CHWs, advocates, and community leaders who shaped this report. And we hope you’ll consider how you can help build a more resilient and community-powered future for public health where everyone can thrive. #StrengthInCHWs #NCHWAW