Fact Sheet: Community Health Workers in New York State

As part of NYHealth’s Primary Care initiative, we are working toward strengthening the primary care workforce—including an enhanced, integrated role for Community Health Workers (CHWs).

A CHW is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of the community. CHWs are uniquely equipped to build trust with patients, especially those from marginalized communities; more than half of CHWs are people of color. CHWs serve as a bridge between patients and the health care system—they improve access to care and health outcomes, address social needs like housing and healthy food access, and lower health care costs.

The CHW workforce is projected to grow in New York State by 44% between 2020 and 2030, much faster than other health care occupations. To support this growing workforce, NYHealth has funded Montefiore Medical Center and Health and Welfare Council of Long Island to integrate CHWs into primary care practice teams in the Bronx and Long Island, respectively.

As part of our Primary Care workforce strategy, NYHealth is also working to strengthen the role of Medical Assistants. Learn more about Medical Assistants in New York State.

View the full fact sheet or download a PDF of the fact sheet.

References:

1. American Public Health Association, “Community Health Workers,” https://www.apha.org/apha-communities/member-sections/community-health-workers, accessed September 2023.
2. NYU Institute for Excellence in Health Equity & Community Health Worker Research & Resource Center, 2023, “Community Health Worker Policy Brief,” https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/excellence-health-equity/sites/default/files/chw-policy-brief.pdf, accessed October 2023.
3. Telzak, A.; Chambers, E.C.; Gutnick, D.; Flattau, A.; Chaya, J.; McAuliff, K.; and Rapkin, B. (2022). Health Care Worker Burnout and Perceived Capacity to Address Social Needs. Population Health Management, 25(3), 352-361. doi: 10.1089/pop.2021.0175.
4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2024 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Advantage; Medicare and Medicaid Provider and Supplier Enrollment Policies; and Basic Health Program,” 88 FR 52262 52262-53197, August 7, 2023 (Woodlawn, MD). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/07/2023-14624/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2024-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other, accessed October 2023.
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, 2007, “Community Health Worker National Workforce Study,” https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/community-health-workforce.pdf, accessed September 2023.
6. MACPAC, 2022, “Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker Services,” https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Medicaid-coverage-of-community-health-worker-services-1.pdf, accessed September 2023.
7. Health and Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI) and the Health Equity Alliance of Long Island (HEALI) Coalition, 2023, “Establishing Best Practices for Community Health Worker Programs on Long Island,” https://hwcli.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/CHW-Manual-FINAL-VERSION.pdf, accessed October 2023.
8. New York State Department of Labor, “Community Health Worker (Hybrid),” https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/06/community-health-worker-hybrid.pdf, accessed October 2023.
9. New York State Department of Labor, “Staffing Patterns,” https://dol.ny.gov/staffing-patterns, accessed October 2023.
10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational and Employment Wages, May 2022,” https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211094.htm#(9), accessed October 2023.
11. National Association of Community Health Workers, 2022, “Community Health Worker Advancing Diversity in Community Health,” https://nachw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/chw_diversity_2.pdf, accessed August 2023.
12. New York State Department of Labor, “Occupational Wages,” https://dol.ny.gov/occupational-wages-0, accessed July 2023.
13. National Association of Community Health Workers, 2022, “Community Health Worker Advancing Diversity in Community Health,” https://nachw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/chw_diversity_2.pdf, accessed August 2023.
14. New York State Department of Labor, “Long-term Occupational Projections,” https://dol.ny.gov/long-term-occupational-projections, accessed September 2023.
15. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “NYC Public Health Corps,” https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/neighborhood-health/public-health-corps.page, accessed September 2023.
16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Community Health Workers for Covid Responses and Resilient Communities (CCR),” https://www.cdc.gov/covid-community-health-workers/ccr-recipient-profiles.html, accessed October 2023.
17. New York State Department of Health, “Perinatal and Infant Community Health Collaboratives (PICHC) Initiative,” https://www.health.ny.gov/community/adults/women/pichc/, accessed October 2023.
18. Kaiser Family Foundation, “State Policies for Expanding Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker (CHW) Services,” https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/state-policies-for-expanding-medicaid-coverage-of-community-health-worker-chw-services/#:~:text=States%20can%20authorize%20Medicaid%20payment,by%20specific%20state%20plan%20benefit, accessed July 2023.
19. New York State Department of Health, 2023, “Re: SPA#32-0032,” https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/state_plans/status/non-inst/original/docs/os_2023-03-31_spa_23-02.pdf, accessed October 2023.
20. New York State Joint Assembly. S8003-D/A9003-D. 2022-2023 (2022). http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi?NVDTO:+&QUERYDATA=S8003D+&QUERYTYPE=BILLNO.
21. New York State Joint Assembly. S4007-C/A3007-C. 2023-2024 (2023). http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/navigate.cgi?NVDTO:+&QUERYDATA=S4007C+&QUERYTYPE=BILLNO.
22. New York State Department of Health, 2022, “New York State Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) Waiver Amendment,” https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/med_waiver_1115/docs/2022-09-02_final_amend_request.pdf, accessed October 2023.
23. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2024 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Advantage; Medicare and Medicaid Provider and Supplier Enrollment Policies; and Basic Health Program,” 88 FR 52262 52262-53197, August 7, 2023 (Woodlawn, MD). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/07/2023-14624/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2024-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other, accessed October 2023.
24. Viswanathan, M.; Kraschnewski, J.; Nishikawa, B.; Morgan, L.C.; Thieda, P.; Honeycutt, A.; Lohr, K.N.; Jonas, D.; and RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center. (2009). Outcomes of community health worker interventions. Evidence Report/Technological Assess (Full Rep), (181), 1-144, A1-2, B1-14, passim.
25. Campbell, J.D.; Brooks, M.; Hosokawa, P.; Robinson, J.; Song, L.; and Krieger, J. (2015). Community Health Worker Home Visits for Medicaid-Enrolled Children with Asthma: Effects on Asthma Outcomes and Costs. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2366-72. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302685.
26. Enard, K.R. and Ganelin, D.M. (2013). Reducing Preventable Emergency Department Utilization and Costs by Using Community Health Workers as Patient Navigators. Journal of Healthcare Management, 58(6), 412-27, discussion 428.
27. Kangovi, S.; Mitra, N.; Grande, D., Long, J.A. and Asch, D.A. (2020). Evidence-Based Community Health Worker Program Addresses Unmet Social Needs and Generates Positive Return On Investment. Health Affairs, 39(2), 207-213. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00981.
28. New York Health Foundation, 2011, “Paving a Path to Advance the Community Health Worker Workforce in New York State: A New Summary Report and Recommendations,” https://nyhealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/paving-path-advance-community-health-worker-october-2011.pdf, accessed October 2023.