Healthy Communities

"COVID-19 front lines need community health workers, yet they're not getting needed support"

Denise Octavia Smith, MBA, CHW, PN is the founding Executive Director of the National Association of Community Health Workers where she currently leads national advocacy on Community Health Worker capacity and roles to center community voice, drive equity and strengthen public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Smith has contributed to national initiatives and research to integrate community health workers into the ACA marketplace and during COVID-19, improve trust and communication between providers and patients on cost and value in treatment options.

"COVID-19 front lines need community health workers, yet they're not getting needed support"

Denise Smith

As the Executive Director of the National Association of Community Health Workers, 2021 Healthy Communities Fellow Denise Smith has been advocating for community health workers, many of whom are women of color, long before the COVID-19 pandemic. In this op-ed, Denise writes about the emotional and mental health challenges her fellow community health workers are facing during the pandemic. In her call to action, she writes: "It is past time to recognize the underappreciated expertise and capacity of our community health care workers, many of whom are coping with immense suffering and an ever-increasing need for their services."

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Read her full article in USA Today.

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