title: Community health workers "101" for primary care providers and other stakeholders in health care systems.
abstract: Today's ambulatory care providers face numerous challenges as they try to practice efficient, patient-centered medicine. This article explains how community health workers (CHWs) can be engaged to address many patient- and system-related barriers currently experienced in ambulatory care practices. Community health workers are frontline public health workers who serve as a trusted bridge between community members and health care providers. Among their varied roles, CHWs can educate and support patients in managing their risk factors and diseases and link these patients to needed resources. As shown in this overview (CHW 101), including CHWs as members of multidisciplinary care teams has the potential to strengthen both current and emerging models of health care delivery.
authors.affiliation: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. jnb1@cdc.gov
authors.forename: J Nell
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Brownstein
authors.forename: Gail R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: E Lee
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Carl H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rush
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003142:Communication; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003150:Community Health Workers; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States