Community Health News and Updates
Food Insecurity In the United States
Consistent and reliable access to food is a challenge that millions of Americans face at some point throughout the year. In fact, in 2018, nearly 14.3 million households were food insecure.1 Food insecurity is when a household has difficulty providing enough food for the entire family due to factors such as financial hardship and lack of access to resources such as social service and government programs.
Blog Topics
CHWs Can Meet the Health Needs of Island Residents
In 2015, chronic diseases (those that are not infectious but rather have slow progression and long duration) accounted for over two-thirds of all deaths in the Pacific Islands. Tragically, 70-75% of deaths in the Pacific Islands are considered premature, occurring before age 60. There is clearly a demonstrated need for high quality, cost-effective healthcare services.
Our Program, Navigator, Makes a Big Impact in the Rio Grande Valley
Of all the areas that MHP Salud operates in, our agency recognized that there was the greatest need for insurance enrollment assistance in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Not only are there many uninsured individuals in the area, but environmental challenges unique to the region create additional challenges for people navigating the often complex insurance process to connect to care.
Community Health Workers in Michigan, A Historic Look at the Rise of the Profession
The first Community Health Workers in Michigan were trained in the 1960s to provide services to their communities. Around this time, the federal government began providing funding for community-based programs that used CHWs to reach underserved communities. Community Health Workers in Michigan and across the country began having an impact on the national level when in 1978, CHWs formed the New Professionals Special Primary Interest Group in the American Public Health Association (APHA).
