IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1406 

Recognizing and supporting the work of Community Health Workers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2008 

Ms. SOLIS (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 

WAXMAN, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 

SCHWARTZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, and Mr. TOWNS) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and supporting the work of Community Health 

Workers. 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes Community Health Workers as trusted and respected members of the community who provide information, education, and formal and informal communitybased, health-related services to community members; 

Whereas Community Health Workers and Promotoras are 

volunteers or paid individuals and are often identified by 

titles such as Community Health Advisor, Lay Health 

Advocate, and Community Health Representative; 


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•HRES 1406 IH 

Whereas in 2005, the United States had an estimated total 

of more than 121,000 Community Health Workers across 

all 50 States; 

Whereas in 2000, the number of organizations employing 

Community Health Workers was 6,300; 

Whereas Community Health Workers conduct significant 

work almost exclusively in community settings and serve 

as connectors between healthcare consumers and providers; 

Whereas according to the National Rural Health Association, 

Community Health Worker programs are significant as 

they focus on assisting hard-to-reach populations and the 

workers usually are indigenous to the target population; 

Whereas Community Health Workers are in a distinctive position to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality, improve the quality of life, and increase the utilization of 

available preventive health services for medically-underserved communities that face barriers to care, including 

poverty, geographic isolation, language, cultural differences, lack of transportation, low literacy, and lack of 

access to services; 

Whereas Community Health Workers, which are primarily 

women, can be a critical component in conducting health 

promotion and disease prevention efforts in medically-underserved populations and connecting disenfranchised and 

medically-underserved populations to the health and social service systems; 

Whereas Community Health Workers serve communities that 

are Latino, African-American, White, Asian and Pacific 

Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native; 


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•HRES 1406 IH 

Whereas approximately 1,400 Community Health Representatives work with tribal managed or Indian Health Service 

programs in most of the more than 500 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native communities; 

Whereas uninsured individuals, immigrants, homeless individuals, isolated rural residents, and migrant workers receive services from Community Health Workers; 

Whereas Community Health Workers facilitate and support 

activities across the Nation to help accomplish the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s goal of eliminating the preventable burdens of diabetes through public 

health leadership, linkages, research, programs, and policies; and 

Whereas a study published in the Journal of the American 

Academy of Pediatrics found that children in families 

who worked with Community Health Workers were almost twice as likely to obtain health insurance than children whose families received traditional Medicaid and 

State Children’s Health Insurance Program information 

and outreach, and were more than twice as likely to remain continuously insured: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the unique work of Community 

3 Health Workers in providing access to preventative 

4 care and other health services in underserved and 

5 health disparity communities; 

6 (2) recognizes the role of Community Health 

7 Workers in supporting and strengthening commuVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:28 Aug 02, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1406.IH HR1406

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•HRES 1406 IH 

1 nities of color, particularly in improving the health 

2 behaviors of minority women and children; and 

3 (3) encourages those in our healthcare system 

4 to learn about and support the distinctive role and 

5 impact of Community Health Workers to improve 

6 the health of all Americans. 

Æ 


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