The ֱ State University College of Public Health is part of a collaborative to train 240 community health worker (CHW) trainees over the next three years.
Cleveland-based MetroHealth is serving as the lead organization, bringing together a Community Health Worker Capacity Building Collaborative (CHWCBC) that includes Better Health Partnership, CHW training programs at ֱ State University, Cuyahoga Community College, and Cleveland State University, and other county and community partners and health systems throughout Northeast Ohio.
CHWCBC is a three-year federal grant of nearly $3 million from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) to increase the number of front-line public health professionals who serve as a key link between health and social services.
“We absolutely see the value of this important collaborative, as do our community partner agencies. ֱ State has been providing the CHW certification since 2020, including partnerships with Akron Public Schools, and dozens of community partners,” said Sonia Alemagno, Ph.D., dean, College of Public Health. “Funding allows educators and care providers in Northeastern Ohio the opportunity to greatly expand the number of trained individuals to help make an impact on community health,” continued Alemagno.
Efforts of community health workers have been shown to reduce hospitalizations and improve clinical outcomes of people living with chronic disease. They address the social determinants of health, which are nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes such as where people live, work and age.
In addition to the Capacity Building Collaborative, the College of Public Health hosts CHW student training cohorts at its ֱ and Trumbull campuses. To learn more about ֱ State’s CHW certification program, visit our website.