Articles and Publications

Community Health Workers (CHWs)—frontline public health professionals who have a unique and trusted relationship with the communities they serve—have proven their ability to help create just, equitable, and thriving communities. As a CHW for over a decade and a CHW ally for over 35 years, we have never witnessed a time of greater interest and investment in the CHW workforce. Amidst a rapidly changing CHW funding landscape, the philanthropic community has an important role to play in assuring that CHWs are able to make an optimum contribution to communities and to the health system.

When basic social needs go unmet, they become the principal drivers of health disparities. Recognizing this, the Health Foundation of South Florida has been advancing a collaborative approach that brings together health systems and community-based organizations and paves the way for implementing promising social interventions. Through this approach, the Health Foundation seeks to drive improved health outcomes and greater coordination to address unmet health-related social needs within clinical care settings.

Each year, more than two million low-income, uninsured, and underinsured people in the United States rely on approximately 1,400 nonprofit free and charitable clinics and charitable pharmacies for essential health care. These clinics use a volunteer/staff model to provide a wide range of health services including medical, dental, pharmacy, vision, and behavioral health services. Many clinics also address social needs, such as connecting patients to housing, food assistance, or employment assistance programs.