CHI-RI seeks to increase opportunities for community-based health initiatives, academic partnerships, to build capacity and build resources to better health. As such, our work necessarily involves research to expose and explain the social conditions that contribute to health inequality and poor health of Rhode Islanders across populations.
CHI research and the development of the CHI CHW curriculum has and continues to model processes of inclusion and follow a participatory model for workforce development. CHI was also developed to build on and expand community driven assessments, data collection and evaluations
We are research focused in order to assure the best science is available to support community health and to promote effective programs. This will provide the best available evidence to inform policy and advocate for change. Below are links to research we have done or related research locally, regionally and nationally.
Local
Community Health Workers in Rhode Island Report. RI Department of Labor and Training in cooperation with and as part of the Trancultural Community Health Initiative. Finalist in the Regional National Association for State Worker Agencies Labor Market Information, 2009. communityhealth.htm
Feasibility Study and Community Health Worker forums to establish a chw association and/or network. The Community Health Worker Association of Rhode Island was established in June of 2009. www.chwassociationri.org
Ritchie, D. Transcultural Community Health Initiative: Building a Diverse Workforce with Community Health Workers, Round Table Series. October 2004. TCHI Roundtable Monograph
Regional
Community Health Workers in MA: Improving Health Care and Public Health, Massachusetts Department of Public Health Community Health Worker Advisory Council, released to legislature on January 14, 2010. legislature_report.pdf
National
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Policy Brief on Community Health Workers. (March 2011) Addressing Chronic Disease through Community Health Workers: A Policy and Systems-Level Approach. chw_brief.pdf
E. Lee Rosenthal,J. Nell Brownstein, Carl H. Rush3,Gail R. Hirsch,Anne M. Willaert,Jacqueline R. Scott, Lisa R. Holderby and Durrell J. Fox. Community Health Workers: Part Of The Solution. Health Aff July 2010 10 vol. 29 no. 7 pp.1338-1342. 1338.abstract, Rosenthal 2010 HlthAff
RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America. Breaking Through on the Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities: An Approach to Message Translation
Issue Brief: Translating Social Determinants Messages for Lay Audiences. Dec 15, 2009. product.jsp?id=53235
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Published: October 2009. product.jsp?id=26673
American Public Health Association (APHA) Policy Statement 20091. Support for Community Health Workers to Increase Health Access and to Reduce Health Inequities, November 10,2009. default.htm?id=1393
Community Health Worker National Education Collaborative (CHW-NEC), www.chw-nec.org
Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. 2.3.brownstein.pdf
Proceedings, Building a National Research Agenda for the Community Health Worker Field Report, Community Resources. 2007. chwdraftresearchagenda.pdf
Dower C, Knox M, et al. Advancing CHW Pratice and Utilization: The Focus on Financing. San Francisco, CA: National Fund for Medical Education. 2006. Dower C, Knox M, et al. Advancing CHW Pratice and Utilization
Center for Sustainable Outreach. csho
Rosenthal, (1998). A Summary of the National Community Health Advisor Study: Weaving the future
Internationally
World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health – final report. Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. 2008. index.html