Community Health Worker Conference 2022

Southern Vermont AHEC’s first statewide Community Health Workers Conference was a big success!

Over 140 community health workers, allies, partners, and organizations gathered at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier, Vermont on December 1, 2022, to talk policy, strategy, and next steps to help unify and sustain this essential workforce. There were several nationally recognized speakers and wonderful breakout sessions.

The event was co-sponsored by the Vermont Department of Health, National Association of Community Health Workers, and Northeast Delta Dental. Here are some links to media coverage provided by WPTZ and WCAX television stations.

Montpelier, Vermont | December 1, 2022

Donna Toneatti, Abenaki Nation

Katina Cummings, SVTAHEC

Kell Arbor, Pride Center VT

Aurora GrantWingate, NACHW

Our Sponsors

Featured Talks & Speakers

Aurora GrantWingate joined HRiA in 2020 as the Member & Partner Engagement Coordinator for the National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW). In her position, she coordinates NACHW’s strategic partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) and assists with other projects concerning equity in COVID-19 care and vaccine distribution.

Aurora GrantWingate

Aurora graduated from Smith College with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Spanish. Previously, she worked with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), and the non-profits Students for Justice (SFJ) and Center for New Americans (CNA).

Agenda for Conference

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8:30 – 9:00 AM

Registration and Breakfast

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Welcome & Introductions

Welcome: Katina Cummings, Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

Conscience Concept: Donna Toneatti, Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi

World AIDS Day 2022 Commemoration: Kell Arbor, Pride Center of Vermont

9:30 – 10:15 AM

Keynote Address

A Snapshot of the National CHW Landscape: Advocacy, COVID 19 and Workforce Development

Aurora GrantWingate, Member & Partner Engagement Associate, National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW)

10:15 – 10:50 AM

Presentation

The Community Health Worker Landscape in Vermont: The Pillars of Building a CHW Infrastructure

VT Community Health Worker Steering Committee & Southern Vermont AHEC

10:50 – 11:05 AM

BREAK

11:05 AM – 12:15 PM

Networking

Community Health Worker Program Exploration*

12:15 – 1:00 PM

LUNCH

1:00 – 1:30 PM

The Promise of Community Health Workers: Cultivating Supportive Work Environments for CHW Success

Shreya Kangovi, MD, Founding Executive Director of the Penn Center for Community Health Workers Ashlee Harris, CHW, Penn Center

1:30 – 2:30 PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Option 1: Governors’ Ballroom

The Power of Community Health Workers: Owning and Sharing our Expertise
Amber Culver, CHW/CHW Program Manager, North Country Health Consortium (NH)
Ben Hummel, Consultant, Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Board Member of National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW)

Option 2: Ethan Allen Room

Investing in the Community Health Worker Workforce: Sustainable Financing Strategies
Carl H. Rush, MRP, Community Resources, LLC and Policy Advisor at NACHW
Tara Murphy, Independent Management Consultant, Health Systems Reform

2:30 – 2:45 PM

BREAK

2:45 – 3:15 PM

Questions, Reflections and Next Steps

3:15 – 3:30 PM

Closing and Evaluation

3:30 – 4:00 PM

Optional*

Networking and Resource Sharing

4:15 – 5:15 PM

Optional*

Social Hour with NACHW leadership

Positive Pie (22 State Street)