HCF Co-Hosts “IL CHW Policy Update” Forum

In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly recognized the importance of Community Health Workers (CHWs) by passing Illinois House Bill 158 and Senate Bill 336, creating the Community Health Worker Certification and Reimbursement Act.  Click here to read the CHW Legislative Fact Sheet en Español.

Forum Host Margie Schaps, Executive Director of Health & Medicine Policy Research Group

On January 27, 2022, Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Healthy Communities Foundation, and Community Memorial Foundation hosted the “IL Community Health Worker (CHW) Policy Update and How You Can Get Involved” forum to discuss what the state’s recent legislature will mean for CHWs in Illinois and the organizations that employ them.

Nearly 400 participants joined the forum as presenters from Illinois CHW Association, Alivio Medical Center, and Cook County Department of Public Health, including the forum hosts, covered the evolving role of CHWs and how community-based organizations, funders, and other key stakeholders could get involved in CHW policy advocacy and workforce engagement.

You can watch the full webinar in English here.

Review the forum presentation in English or en Español.

If you have questions about the “IL CHW Policy Update and How You Can Get Involved” forum, contact Angela Eastlund at aeastlund@hmprg.org.

ABOUT THE CHW INITIATIVE IN THE WESTERN COOK COUNTY SUBURBS

Since 2017, Community Memorial Foundation and Healthy Communities Foundation have collaborated to fund health care delivery models that utilize community health workers (CHWs) to improve access to care and grow the workforce in the western suburbs of Chicago. With diverse partner organizations and a first-of-its-kind learning collaborative in the US that engages the CHWs, their supervisors, and content experts, the CHW project continues to evolve and inspire cross-sector partners to integrate CHWs into their health care delivery models.

Learn more about the CHW project in west suburban Cook County.