Examining Differences in Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Based on Organizational Experience With CHWs: A Call for CHW Workforce Sustainability.

Abstract

As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, community health workers (CHWs) in the United States were quickly identified as an essential workforce of health professionals that could reach community members who were at the highest risk for the negative effects of COVID-19. The reliance on CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated decades-long advocacy for sustainable funding for CHWs. Advocates argue, in part, that CHW programs must be up and running with trained CHWs and existing relationships with communities to most effectively respond to public health emergencies. Here we provide insight into this discussion in the context of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Health Workers for COVID Response and Resilient Communities (2021 to 2024) national initiative. Specifically, we explore the extent to which CHW training varied according to the recipient organization's previous experience working with CHWs. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2026;116(S4):S358-S364. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308557).