Vani Howard
Appearances
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
I mean, like how Angela and Vanya has stated that people might have worked and been assisted by a CHW, but under a different title. So technically that, you know, they may have been assisted or they might have, you know, collaborated with other individuals, but not under maybe the CHW title.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
But I mean, that's the whole purpose that we're on here today is to get that word out, to get that recognition out to let the community know that CHWs do exist and that we're basically here to help.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
What I really enjoyed when I was working as a CHW with that nonprofit organization was the fact that I was an advocate for the community that I represent, which is basically the Somali community. So working as an advocate for such a large community and knowing that Minnesota basically holds one of the largest Somali population in the United States.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
So coming across different individuals of different ages needing assistance, whether it was in the clinics, in the hospitals, whether it was inpatient, outpatient care, whatever it was, whether it was Just, you know, health prevention overall, whether it was just just advocating for them and and and other ways of like assisting them, whether it was with housing with food with.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
There was just like the the assistance that I was doing as a CHW within the Somali community was very, very large and it was very like a broadened aspect of a lot of things and. And just knowing that I was able to kind of assist them with every need that they basically have was one of my biggest and my most enjoyable thing that I worked as a CHW.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
Because even within the communities that we were serving as a CHWs, and even with my previous colleagues that I was working with, and they were from the Oromo community, they were from the Hmong community, they were from the Hispanic community. So, so many CHWs come from different ethnics and backgrounds.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
And knowing that a lot of people are being assisted and a lot of CHWs from different backgrounds are being utilized, knowing that we're able to give back to the communities that we represent and that we're from is one of the most enjoyable thing that a CHW could really attest to.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
One point that I would really like to get out to the audience is that is that CHWs are the backbone and to our community, to be honest, when it comes to
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
um in the health care field um they are among the backbones i mean they're not the only ones obviously i mean we have all different you know health care providers that are the backbone to the community but they are among the ones um because first and foremost um uh in the midst of the covet times i should kind of just kind of uh retracking a bit chws were among uh
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
you know, those were on the, you know, just like the forefront fighters and that were, you know, working with the nurses and the doctors, you know, out in the field and, working at the testing sites and working at the vaccine sites. And so I just want just the overall community to know that CHWs are a lot more than what they are being ought to be.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
And we are here to get that message out, like just loud and clear to the community and just to kind of educate everyone about the importance that CHW is and the roles that they hold and the responsibilities that they basically have. So just know that CHWs do exist and they are the backbone to our community.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
I have worked as a CHW for about six to seven years. And with majority of my CHW career has been with WellShare, which is a nonprofit organization. And during that time, I have partaken and worked in numerous programs and projects throughout.
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
Um, I mean, uh, majority of the points, uh, Kristen, um, have basically touched based on it, but yeah, but I mean, uh, when I was starting off as a CHW, um, it was like a very new field and, um, and, you know, and position, um, in the community itself, but being in it for, for, for quite some time, I feel like that itself has basically, um,
Health Chatter
Community Health Workers
came up in the works and has gotten a lot of recognition and is still getting a recognition in the midst of all this. And even within today, just this current time that we're in, that's the whole thing that we're working towards at is basically to get that recognition out for CHWs more in the community for individuals to kind of know that CHWs do exist.