Press Release|Articles|July 16, 2026
Supporting Community Health Workers as They Support Their Communities
Author(s)Triage Cancer®
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Key Takeaways
- Community health workers operate across hospitals, nonprofits, public health, and informal community leadership, sharing a core mission of reducing access barriers and improving outcomes through navigation and advocacy.
- Service scope spans insurance enrollment and utilization, linkage to financial assistance, coordination of social supports, preventive care education, and chronic disease self-management coaching.
Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted members of the communities they serve, helping people navigate the health care system and overcome barriers to care. Whether connecting someone with health insurance, community resources, or financial assistance, they play a vital role in improving health outcomes.
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Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted members of the communities they serve, helping people navigate the health care system and overcome barriers to care. Whether connecting someone with health insurance, community resources, or financial assistance, they play a vital role in improving health outcomes.
CHWs may be known by many different titles, including patient navigators, promotores, peer educators, outreach workers, community advocates, or public health workers. Some work for hospitals, nonprofits, community organizations, or health departments. Others serve in informal leadership roles within their own communities.
No matter their title, they share one common goal: helping people overcome barriers to better health.
What Do Community Health Workers Do?
Community health workers are often the first person someone turns to after receiving a diagnosis or when trying to access care.
They help people:
- Find health care and community resources
- Understand health insurance
- Connect with financial assistance programs
- Access transportation, food, housing, or other support services
- Learn about preventive care and chronic disease management
- Advocate for themselves within the health care system
Perhaps most importantly, community health workers build trust. Because they often live in or closely understand the communities they serve, they are uniquely positioned to connect people with resources in ways that are culturally responsive, practical, and meaningful.
Why Their Work Matters More Than Ever
Today's health care system is increasingly complex. Insurance rules change. Coverage options evolve. Prior authorizations, appeals, disability insurance, and medical bills can quickly become overwhelming, especially for someone already coping with a serious illness.
Community health workers are on the front lines of these conversations every day. Having a practical understanding of these topics helps them recognize potential issues, ask the right questions, and connect individuals with appropriate resources before problems grow even larger.
Sometimes, simply knowing that a person may have rights or additional options can make all the difference.
Free Training for Community Health Workers
At Triage Cancer, we believe that helping community health workers strengthens the communities they serve.
That's why we created our free online
During this interactive training, participants learn about:
- Choosing and using health insurance
- Taking time off work to access health care
- Disability insurance
- Managing medical bills
The training builds on the important work community health workers already do by providing practical information about insurance and financial topics that can help people access care and navigate challenges with greater confidence.
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Learn more and register for the free training at
Learn More on the How to Triage Health Podcast
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