Community Health Workers in Utah: An Assessment of the Role of CHWs in Utah and the National Health Care System

Community health workers (CHWs), also known as promotoras or patient navigators, have received considerable attention for their potential to improve access to and the quality of healthcare. The National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (NHDSP) in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlined evidence based or practice based priority strategies on which states should focus their efforts. In addition, passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 promoted the use of CHWs and similar occupations. Together these two events prompted the Utah Department of Health’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program (HDSPP) to assess the role CHWs play in Utah. HDSPP contracted with the University of Utah’s Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) to conduct a literature review, a nationwide survey, and a Utah‐specific survey on current practices and impacts of programs utilizing the services of CHWs.