The Michigan Community Health Worker Association (MiCHWA) is hosting its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at the Lansing Community College in Lansing, Michigan from 9:00am to 3:30pm. 

Gloria Palmisano, MA, Program Manager of the Detroit URC-affiliated, REACH Detroit Partnership, sits on the MiCHWA Steering Committee and is a member of the MiCHWA management team and the MiCHWA evaluation team. In the interview below, we here from Mrs. Palmisano about the upcoming meeting and why it is expected to be an event worth attending.

Learn more about the event and register online at: www.michwa.org/news-events/annual-meeting-2013/

Tell us about your involvement in MiCHWA and what to expect at the annual meeting.

CHASS Center, Inc. has employed community health workers to address health disparities for many years so when the opportunity came up to support and promote CHWs on a statewide level we welcomed the opportunity to partner with others to establish the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance.

This is MiCHWA’s 3rd annual conference and with each year we have seen a steady increase in participation. More and more people are becoming aware of the value of CHWs and how they can strengthen the connection between vulnerable populations and health care and human service systems. CHWs are an emerging profession, one that is integral to Michigan’s health and social service infrastructure, and MiCHWA strives to support the further integration and understanding of the CHW role statewide. At each annual meeting we endeavor to address the various issues around CHW education and workforce development, policy and finance, and the Michigan CHW Network. At this year’s meeting there will be updates on MiCHWA’s current progress and trajectory, four interactive workshops relating to CHW education, policy, evaluation, and integration of CHWs into team-based care, and poster presentations from Michigan CHW projects, programs and other agencies.

What part of the event are you most looking forward to?

I am especially excited about this year’s keynote speaker, E. Lee Rosenthal. Dr. Rosenthal is a public health researcher and advocate based in the US southwest where she works on regional, national, and bi-national public health issues. Her work primarily focuses on advancing the role of community health workers (CHWs) in improving access to information, services, and health equity. Among her most notable accomplishments is leading the National Community Health Advisor Study funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a study that has been widely cited for its foundational work in examining the role and development of the US community health worker workforce. Dr. Rosenthal is a Co-Founder and Research Affiliate of the Project on Community Health Worker Policy and Practice at the University of Texas’ School of Public Health’s Institute for Health Policy. When I first started the REACH CHW program, Dr. Rosenthal’s CHA study was so helpful in guiding me with the hiring and training of CHWs and program evaluation strategies.

Who should attend the meeting and why?

Anyone interested in learning more about CHWs, their impact on social determinates of health, what is happening at a national level to move the CHW agenda, or supporters of the profession should attend.

Is there anything else you'd like us to know about the annual meeting or MiCHWA?

Anne Ganey, from South Central College CHW Program in North Mankato, Minnesota, will talk about the steps taken by Minnesota to establish a standardized CHW curriculum and about their current CHW education system.