Community Health Worker / Promotor(a) Resources

For further information on promotoras/es and community health workers training and certification program in Texas, go to the Texas Department of State Health Services Community Health Worker or Promotor(a) Training and Certification Program webpage.

The Medical and Research Librarians have selected this chronological list of journal citations and/or reports in the Promotor(a) or Community Health Worker Training and Certification Program. 

From the ground up: building and Implementing a successful CHW/promotor(a) program for cancer screening, training, education, and prevention. Brandford A, Sanchez M, Pitones P, Bolin J. Health Promot Pract. Published online January 6, 2025. doi:10.1177/15248399241308198

Promotoras represent a community in pain. Marquez C, Kazmierski K, Carballo JA, et al. J Lat Psychol. 2023;11(2):148-165. doi:10.1037/lat0000224

A review of community health worker integration in health departments. Ignoffo S, Gu S, Ellyin A, Benjamins MR. J Community Health. 2024;49(2):366-376. Epub 2023 Oct 12. doi:10.1007/s10900-023-01286-6  

Health care impacts of resource navigation for health-related social needs in the accountable health communities model. Parish W, Beil H, He F, et al. Health Affairs. 2023;42(6):822-831. Epub 2023 May 17. doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01502

Community health worker integration with and effectiveness in health care and public health in the United States. Knowles M, Crowley AP, Vasan A, Kangovi S. Annu Rev Public Health. 2023;44:363-381. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-071521-031648

Impact of delivering a healthy lifestyle intervention: promotora findings from Familias Sanas y Activas II. Madanat H, Martinez A, Molina M, Ayala GX. J Health Sci Educ. 2023;1(3):1-7. 

Care management for patients with type 2 diabetes: the roles of nurses, pharmacists, and social workers. Bodenheimer TS & Willard-Grace R. Health Affairs. 2022;41(7):947-954. doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00227

Impact of community health workers on access to care for rural populations in the United States: a systematic review. Berini CR, Bonilha HS, Simpson AN. J Community Health. 2022;47(3):539-553.  doi:10.1007/s10900-021-01052-6

Community health worker sustainability: funding, payment, and reimbursement laws in the United States. Schmit CD, Washburn DJ, LaFleur M, Martinez D, Thompson E, Callaghan T. Public Health Rep. 2022;137(3):597-603. 
doi:10.1177/00333549211006072

Community health worker impact on knowledge, antenatal care, and birth outcomes: a systematic review. Scharff D, Enard KR, Tao D, Strand G, Yakubu R, Cope V. Matern Child Health J. 2022;26(1):79-101. doi:10.1007/s10995-021-03299-w

Latino health access: comparative effectiveness of a community-initiated promotor/a-led diabetes self-management education program. Slater A, Cantero PJ, Alvarez G, Cervantes BS, Bracho A, Billimek J. Fam Community Health. 2022;45(1):34-45. doi:10.1097/FCH.0000000000000311

Processes for implementing community health worker workforce development initiatives. Barbero C, Mason T, Rush C, et al. Front Public Health. 2021;9:659017.
doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.659017

Community health worker leadership in Louisiana, during and after Hurricane Katrina. Haywood CG, Feist DR, Sugarman MK, Ezouah P, Wennerstrom A. Am J Public Health. 2020;110(10):1498-1499. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2020.305741

Evidence-based community health worker program addresses unmet social needs and generates positive return on investment. Kangovi S, Mitra N, Grande D, et al. 
Health Affairs. 2020;39(2):207-213. 
doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00981

The Medical and Research Librarians have selected these resources on the Promotor(a) or Community Health Worker.

Community Health Worker (CHW) Resources
These resources are collected from programs across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that host materials pertinent to CHWs. These resources should be helpful not only to CHWs, but also to those who work with them. 

Diffusion of Community Health Workers within Medicaid Managed Care: A Strategy to Address Social Determinants of Health. Carolina Nkouaga, Arthur Kaufman, Charlie Alfero, and Claudia Medina, Health Affairs Blog. 

Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Interventions Engaging Community Health Workers. The Community Guide, March 2015.

National Rural Health Association (NRHA) provides information on:

• Rural Community Health Initiative

• Policy Papers like Community Health Workers: Recommendations for Bridging Healthcare Gaps in Rural America

• Rural Community Health Worker Training

• Southwest Health Initiative

State Approaches to Community Health Worker Certification (June 2022).
Each state that has developed a CHW certification program, however, has taken its own approach to setting requirements for certification and determining how to administer the program.

State Community Health Worker Policies. (Apr. 2025). National Academy of State Health Policy.
The chart below offers more details on state CHW models, including state definitions, certification and training, Medicaid reimbursement, other funding mechanisms, key partnerships, and state legislation.