October is Community Health Workers Month in New Mexico

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has proclaimed October 2022 as Community Health Workers Month. During this month, New Mexico honors and thanks community health workers who provide much needed care throughout the state and play an important role in reaching the most socially vulnerable members of our communities including rural and frontier areas of our state. 

"Community health workers across the state work tirelessly to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for New Mexicans," said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. "They are an integral aspect of the state's health care delivery network, and I am deeply grateful for their dedication to improving the lives of New Mexico residents." 

Community health workers are frontline public health workers who work in our homes and communities to improve health knowledge and behaviors through outreach, community education, and advocacy. Patients tend to develop close relationships with community health workers. Most community health workers work in local hospitals, community centers and outreach facilities. Frontline community health workers are instrumental in bringing flu and COVID-19 vaccine equity to socially vulnerable residents in rural and frontier areas of our state. 

“Community health workers are the backbone of rural and socially vulnerable healthcare communities in New Mexico,” said Jeff Lara, Public Health Office acting director. “Community health workers are a respected, valued workforce that have played an important role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and have contributed greatly to positioning New Mexico as a leader in testing and vaccination.” 

New Mexico is one of a handful of states with dedicated community health worker offices and a community health worker certification program. The New Mexico Department of Health’s Office of Community Health Workers was established in 2008 to provide training and certification to these crucial members of our communities. 

The Office of Community Health Workers will host a Community Health Worker workforce development conference on October 27-28, in Albuquerque, N.M. at Sandia Resort. The conference will provide continuing education trainings for Community Health Worker state recertification as well as educational opportunities for those interested in becoming certified. Registration is limited to 150 people, and interested parties can register here.

The Department of Health has partnered with the University of New Mexico and will hold two virtual informational sessions (Oct. 26, and Nov. 3,) on Community Health Worker Partnerships for Behavioral Health Equity. The goal is to develop partnerships with new and existing organizations to fund community health worker positions around the state with a focus on regions with less behavioral health resources and high social vulnerability. Informational sessions are open to the public and registration information is available here. 

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Octubre es el mes de los trabajadores comunitarios de la salud en Nuevo México