School of Medicine

Louisiana Community Health Worker Institute

The Louisiana Community Health Worker (CHW) Institute was established in 2010 to support CHW workforce development. Our team provides training for CHWs and CHW supervisors, with content based on nationally-recognized core competencies established by the National C3 Council. We also offer technical assistance on CHW program development, financing, and evaluation to state health agencies, community-based organizations, health systems, and social service organizations in Louisiana.

In partnership with the Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network we co-lead the Louisiana CHW Workforce Coalition, which produced policy recommendations based on a statewide study of CHWs and their employers. 

Our team has worked in collaboration with CHWs on a wide variety of research and programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. Current projects include: evaluating national CHW capacity building efforts in partnership with envision, conducting a statewide CHW workforce study, and evaluating uptake of Medicaid billing for CHW servicesWe have also participated in founding two CHW professional associations, including the National Association of Community Health Workers.

Please contact us today to learn more about options for technical assistance, the La. CHW Workforce Coalition, CHW training and our ongoing webinar series. Click here for quick info about CHWs and answers to frequently asked questions.    

Pascaline Ezouah (l), Meredith Sugarman, Catherine Haywood, and Ashley Wennerstrom (r) at a Louisiana Community Health Worker Workforce Development Study Committee Meeting, November 2019.

What is a Community Health Worker?

Why?

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Our Work

Peer-reviewed publications:

1. Ocasio MA, Fashjian J, Haywood CA, Davenport T, Wennerstrom, A, Johnson MO, Saberi P, Fernández MI. Community health workers and social media: benefits, drawbacks, and training needs. mHealth, 2026, 12, 1. https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-20251-68
2. Wennerstrom A, Adkins C, Witmeier K, Whittington A, Haywood C, Bachhuber MA. Uptake of Medicaid billing for community health worker services in Louisiana 2022-2023. Medical Care. Published online September 15, 2025. DOI: 1097/MLR.0000000000002216
3. Wolf L, Ohly SL, Holderby-Fox, LR, Bristol SE, Wennerstrom A. A Community Organizing Model for Advancing Community Health Worker Workforce Sustainability. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2025; 48(4):244-251.
4. Rohan EA, Townsend JS, Torres Bermudez A, Thompson HL, Holman D, Reza A, Tharpe FS, Caple E, Wennerstrom A. Engaging community health workers and promotores de salud: Exploring public perceptions and community perspectives. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2025; 22:240441.
5. Khoury, HB, Sugarman OK, Armstrong A, Reilly B, Wennerstrom A. Caring for the incarcerated patient: Provider perceptions of quality of care in the state of Louisiana. Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association. 2025; 5(1):37-49.
6. Nguyen L, Boles W, Anderson K, Martin D, Niyogi A, Wennerstrom A. A pilot program of a peer support group by and for formerly incarcerated women.  Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. 2025;19(1):55-62. PMID: 40223628.
7. Wennerstrom A, Witmeier K, Wortmann K, Holderby-Fox LR, Haywood CG, Ohly S. “By us for us”: Lessons learned in developing a national community health worker-led training and technical assistance center. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2024; 47(4): 215-227. PMID: 39028579.
8. Rohan EA, Townsend JS, Torres Bermudez A, Thompson HL, Holman D, Reza A, Tharpe FS, Wennerstrom A. Engaging community health workers in primary care practices: Provider understanding of roles, benefits, and barriers. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2024; 47(3):154-167. PMID: 38775653.
9. Wennerstrom A, Sugarman M, Haywood CG, Jindal, D. True G. Roles and responsibilities of community health workers in Louisiana Medicaid managed care organizations. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2024;47(1):22-32. PMID: 37994511.
10. Wennerstrom A., Smith DO.  Labor exploitation among community health workers.  The Lancet Global Health.  2023 Oct; 11(10): E1484-E1485. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00409-6
11. Wennerstrom A, Haywood C, Smith D, Jindal D, Rush C, Wilkinson G. Community health worker team integration in Medicaid Managed Care: Insights from a national study.  Frontiers in Public Health. 2023;10:1042750. PMID: 36711360.
12. Wennerstrom A, Haywood C, Smith D, Jindal D, Rush C, Wilkinson G. What are the roles of community health workers Medicaid managed care? Results from a national study. Journal of Population Health Management. 2022;25(6):763-770. PMID: 3629598.
13. Barbero C, Abdullah A, Wiggins N, Garrettson M, Jones D, Guinn A, Girod C, Bradford J, Wennerstrom A. Community health worker activities in public health programs to prevent violence: Coding roles and scope. American Journal of Public Health. 2022; 112(8):1191-1201. PMID: 35737917.
14. Rush C, Smith DO, Fox D, Wennerstrom A.  Lessons learned in establishing a health profession: What oncology patient navigators can learn from the National Association of Community Health Workers. Cancer.  2022;128 (S13): 2659-2663. PMID: 35699617.
15. Wennerstrom A, Sugarman M, Rush C, Barbero C, Jayapaul-Philip B, Fulmer EB, Shantharam S, Moeti R, Mason T. "Nothing About Us Without Us": Insights from State-level Efforts to Implement Community Health Worker Certification. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2021;32(2):892-909. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2021.0070. PMID: 34120983.
16. Barbero, C, Mason, T, Rush, C, Sugarman, M, Bhuiya, AR, Fulmer, EB, Feldstein, J, Cottoms, N, & Wennerstrom, A. (2021). Processes for Implementing Community Health Worker Workforce Development Initiatives. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.659017
17. Smith DO, Wennerstrom A. To strengthen the public health response to COVID-19, we need community health workers.  Health Affairs Blog. May 6, 2020. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200504.336184/full/.
18. Haywood C, Feist D, Sugarman M, Ezouah P, Wennerstrom A.  Community health worker leadership in Louisiana, during and after Hurricane Katrina.  American Journal of Public Health. 2020;110(10), 1498-1499
19. Mayfield Johnson S, Smith DO, Crosby S, Haywood CG, Castillo J, Bryant-Williams D, Jay K, Seguinot M, Smith T, Moore N, Wennerstrom A.  Insights on COVID-19 from community health worker state leaders.   Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.  2020;43(4), 268-277. 
20. Sugarman, M., Ezouah, P., Haywood, C., & Wennerstrom, A. (2020). Promoting Community Health Worker Leadership in Policy Development: Results from a Louisiana Workforce Study. Journal of Community Health, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00843-7
21. Matos S, Wilkinson G, Hernandez-Gordon W, Wennerstrom A.  The National Association of Community Health Workers disputes findings of Covert et al. American Journal of Public Health.  2019; 109(10): e1. 
22. Spock N, Wennerstrom A. “Nothing about us without us:” Lessons from supporting community health workers in Hawai'i Nei and beyond.  Hawai'i Journal of Public Health and Medicine.  2019;78(6 Suppl 1):  33-36.
23. Wennerstrom A, Pollock M, Silver J, Gustat J.  Training community residents to address social determinants of health in under resourced communities.  Health Promotion Practice.  Published online January 7, 2019.  DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839918820039 
24. Wennerstrom A, Haywood C, Wallace M, Sugarman M, Walker A, Bonner T, Sutton Y, Lacen Keller B, Lewis M, Springgate B, Theall K.  Creating Safe Spaces: A community health worker- academic partnered approach to addressing intimate partner violence.  Ethnicity & Disease. 2018;28(2): 317-324.
25. Sabo S, Allen C, Sutkowi K, Wennerstrom A.   Community health workers in the United States:  Challenges in identifying, surveying, and supporting the workforce.  Am J Public Health. 2017 Dec;107(12):1964-1969. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304096. PubMed PMID: 29048953
26. Sabo S, Bell M, Wennerstrom A, Flores M, Verdugo L, Ingram M, Carvajal S. Community health workers promote civic engagement and organizational capacity to impact policy. J Community Health. 2017 Dec;42(6):1197-1203. doi: 10.1007/s10900-017-0370-3. PubMed PMID: 28589270. 
27. Wennerstrom A, Rush C.  The terminology of community health workers:  What's in a name?  Am J Public Health. 2016 Aug;106(8):e10. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303248. PubMed PMID: 27400359.
28. Allen CA, Sugarman M, Wennerstrom A.  Community health workers: A resource to support antipsychotic medication adherence.  Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.  17 May 2016.  DOI:  10.1007/s11414-016-9515-x. 
29. Barbero C, Gilchrist S, Chiriqui, J, Martin M, Wennerstrom A, VanderVeur J, Prewitt K, Brownstein N.  Do state community health worker laws include provisions aligned with best available evidence?  Journal of Community Health. 2016; 41(2):315-25. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-015-0098-x.  PMID:26455578
30. Wennerstrom A, Hargrove L, Minor S, Kirkland A, Shelton S.   Enhancing care delivery through integration of behavioral health-focused community health workers into primary care.  Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.  2015;38(3):263-272.  DOI:10.1097/JAC.0000000000000087.  PMID:  26049656
31. Sabo S, Wennerstrom A, Phillips D, Haywood C, Redondo F, Bell, ML, Ingram, M.  Community health worker professional Advocacy: Voices of action from the 2014 National Community Health Worker Advocacy Survey.  Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.  2015;38(3):225-235.   doi: 10.1097/JAC.0000000000000089.  PMID:  26049652.
32. Wennerstrom A, Bui T, Harden-Barrios J, Price-Haywood E.  Integrating community health workers into a patient centered medical home to support disease self-management among Vietnamese Americans: Lessons learned.  Health Promotion Practice.  2015;16(1):72-83.  DOI: 10.1177/1524839914547760.  PMID:  25139872.
33. Wennerstrom A, Johnson L, Gibson K, Batta SE, Springgate BF.  Community health workers leading the charge on workforce development: Lessons from New Orleans.  Journal of Community Health.  2014; 39(6), 1140-1149.  PMID:  24705703.
34. Wennerstrom A, Vannoy S, Allen C, Meyers D, O'Toole E, Wells K, Springgate B.  Community-based participatory development of community health worker mental health outreach role to extend collaborative care in post-Katrina New Orleans.  Ethnicity and Disease.  2011;21(3, Suppl 1), 45-51.  PMID:  22352080.
35. Springgate B, Wennerstrom A, Carriere C. Capacity building for post-disaster mental health since Katrina:  The role of community health workers. Review of Black Political Economy. 2011; 38(4), 363-368
36. Sabo S, Ingram M, Wennerstrom A.  Social justice and health in Arizona border communities: The community health worker model.  The Colonias Reader:  Economy, housing, and public health in U.S.-Mexico border colonias.  Eds:  Donelson, A., Esparza, A  University of Arizona Press.  2010. 
37. Ingram M, Sabo S, Rothers J, Wennerstrom A, Guernsey de Zapien J.  Community health workers and community advocacy: Addressing health disparities. Journal of Community Health.  2008; 33(6), 417-424.  PMID:  18584315.

Book chapters:

1. Wennerstrom A. Shantharam S, Redondo F, Gilchrist S.  Public health law in chronic disease prevention and management.  Chapter in Public Health Law:  Concepts and case studies for practitioners.  Eds MM Ransom, LM Valladares.  Springer. 2022.

2. Wennerstrom A, Haywood C, McTighe L.  “You have to build a relationship”: Reflections on a career of elevating the role of outreach in communities of color.  Chapter in Promoting the health of the community:  Community health workers describing their roles, competencies and practice.  Eds. St. John J, Mayfield-Johnson S, Hernandez W.  Springer. 2021.  

3. Wilkinson GW., Wennerstrom A,  Cottoms N, Sutkowi K, Rush CH. Uniting the workforce: building capacity for a national association of community health workers.  Chapter in Promoting the health of the community:  Community health workers describing their roles, competencies and practice.  Eds. St. John J, Mayfield-Johnson S, Hernandez W.  Springer. 2021

Reports: 

1. Sugarman M, Ezouah, P, Wennerstrom A. The Louisiana Community Health Worker Workforce Study Committee Report. 2020. Available at https:chwwd.aspx. 
2. Barbero C, Jayapaul-Philip B, Fulmer K, Moeti R, Shantharma S, Gilchrist S, Bhuiya A, Rush C, Mason T, Sugarman M, Wennerstrom A. CDC Community health worker statewide certification technical assistance report.  2018.  Available at:  https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/toolkits/chw-ta-background.htm
3. Arevian, A, Springgate B, Jones F, Starks SL, Chung B, Wennerstrom A, Jones L, Kataoka S, Griffith K, Sugarman OK, Williams P, Haywood C, Kirkland A, Meyers D, Pasternak R, Simmasalam R, Tang L, Castillo EG, Mahajan A, Stevens M, Wells KB. The Community and Patient Partnered Research Network (CPPRN): Application of patient-centered outcomes research to promote behavioral health equity. Ethnicity & Disease. 2018;28(2): 295-302. PMID: 30202181.
4. Springgate B, Arevian A, Wennerstrom A, Johnson AJ, Eisenman DP, Sugarman OK, Haywood C, Trapido E, Sherborne C, Everette A, McCreary M, Meyers D, Kataoka S, Tang L, Sato J, Wells KB. Community resilience learning collaborative and research network (C-LEARN): Study protocol with participatory planning for a randomized, comparative effectiveness trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018;15(8): 1683.  PMID: 30720791.   
5. Keegan R., Grover L, Patron D, Sugarman O, Griffith K, Sonnier S, Springgate B, Jumonville LC, Gardner S, Massey S, Miranda J, Chung B, Wells KB, Phillipi S, Trapido E, Ramirez A, Meyers D, Haywood C, Landry C, Wennerstrom A. Case study of Resilient Baton Rouge: Applying depression collaborative care and community planning  to disaster recovery. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018 Jun 8;15(6): 1208.  PMID: 29890659.
6. Allen CA, Sugarman M, Wennerstrom A. Community health workers: A resource to support antipsychotic medication adherence.  Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research.  2017;44(2)341-344. PMID: 27189697.
7. Vail W, Niyogi A, Henderson N, Wennerstrom A. Bringing it all back home: Understanding the medical difficulties encountered by newly released prisoners in New Orleans, Louisiana—A qualitative study.  Health & Social Care in the Community. 2017; 25(4):1448-58. PMID: 28370837.
8. Sabo S, Bell M, Wennerstrom A, Flores M, Verdugo L, Ingram M, Carvajal S. Community health workers promote civic engagement and organizational capacity to impact policy. Journal of Community Health. 2017;42(6):1197-1203. PMID: 28589270.