National Community Health Worker Awareness Week 2024 marks the second annual national campaign celebrating and recognizing the contributions of community health workers for their dedication to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation.
One local initiative benefiting from the dedication of community health workers is the Pathways Community HUB, which launched in March 2024. Pathways is a whole-person, community-based care coordination system designed to ensure that pregnant individuals in the Omaha community have access to the social, medical, and behavioral resources they need for a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period. The HUB’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the community health workers involved.
Jasmine Smith, a community health worker and doula at A Mother’s Love, is deeply committed to her community. “I want to serve as a community health worker so that I am constantly in touch with the people in my community and in a position to serve my community positively,” Jasmine shared. Her passion for service reflects the core values of the community health worker profession.
Artnetta Stearns, also a community health worker and doula at A Mother’s Love, emphasized the importance of awareness and accessibility of resources. “I want to serve my community because we deserve to know about all resources available and be able to utilize them as needed. So many people go without because they simply don’t know,” Artnetta said.
At Charles Drew Health Center, Ranjita Subba serves as a Health Access Navigator, expressing pride in seeing the positive outcomes of her work. “As a community health worker, I get the opportunity to help people. Most importantly, I get to see the people that I helped getting all the resources they need, which makes me feel proud,” Ranjita noted.
Tanika Cannon, a community link advocate at CHI Health, shares her commitment to bridging healthcare disparities. “I want to be an advocating voice for the underserved in my community by creating a bridge to resources that may be unknown to them,” Tanika explained. Her work focuses on addressing social determinants of health and improving access to care.
As we celebrate National Community Health Worker Awareness Week, we honor the contributions of community health workers like Jasmine, Artnetta, Ranjita, and Tanika and their work for Pathways. Their dedication and passion exemplify the impact of community health workers in building healthier, stronger communities.