Inaugural Spanish Community Health Worker training concludes with graduation

The 12-week course, which ran Sept. 7 through Nov. 23, provided participants with Spanish-language materials and was conducted entirely in Spanish. In addition to their coursework, participants worked together on joint projects, explored resources at a community health fair, and shared a potluck that included family recipes and cultural foods.

The course ended on Dec. 7 with students giving final presentations, followed by a graduation celebration with friends and family.

CHWs serve as links between patients and health care or social services agencies, working to improve health outcomes by improving access to services and quality of care. Training Spanish-speaking CHWs to work in their communities can alleviate language barriers that could keep clients from attaining the best health outcomes.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Mid-America Regional Council collaborated to offer the course and provide the curriculum. Support for the project was provided by the Kansas Community Health Worker Coalition, and the University of Kansas Medical Center provided translation services for the materials.