Closing the Gaps: A Countywide Approach to CHW Distribution
CHW News, CHW Professional Development, CHWs, Health EquityCommunity Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in improving access to care across Mecklenburg County, yet their impact is shaped not only by what they do, but where they are positioned. As the CHW workforce continues to grow, ensuring equitable distribution across communities is essential to addressing gaps in access to health and social services. A coordinated, countywide approach allows organizations and partners to move beyond fragmented efforts and align CHW deployment with population needs.
This blog focuses on NET 1.2 from the Community Health Worker Initiative’s (CHWI) Cultivating Community Change Together Plan, which emphasizes the importance of network participants working collaboratively to determine how CHWs and their institutional resources are distributed across the county. Baseline data and partner insights highlight both the opportunities and challenges in achieving a more equitable and strategic approach to CHW placement.
Utilizing Community Health Assessments to Guide Placement
Community Health Assessments (CHAs) provide a strong foundation for understanding where needs are greatest across Mecklenburg County. These assessments highlight key health priorities, geographic disparities, and social drivers of health that should inform where CHWs are deployed.
While many organizations employ CHWs, there is currently no shared system for tracking deployment across partners. This lack of shared metrics contributes to fragmented placement and limits the ability to align CHWs with high-need areas.
At the same time, CHWs are already engaged in data collection efforts, including surveys, interviews, and community-based assessments, directly supporting NET Activity 1.2.2, which focuses on utilizing Community Health Assessments and related data sources to identify population health priorities.
According to baseline findings, at least 27% of CHWs reported actively using data collection methods such as interviews (12), surveys (11), and focus groups (9), with likely overlap across methods indicating even broader involvement. This positions them as key contributors in interpreting CHA findings and ensuring that placement decisions reflect real, lived community conditions. Integrating CHW insights with CHA data strengthens both the accuracy and responsiveness of deployment strategies.
Identifying Areas Underserved by CHWs
Existing needs assessments and network surveys reveal that access to CHW support is not evenly distributed across Mecklenburg County. Some communities continue to face barriers to care, limited resource navigation, and gaps in culturally responsive services, highlighting the need for a more intentional approach to CHW distribution.
Understanding where CHWs are currently deployed across organizations is a critical first step in identifying gaps. By mapping existing CHW programs and the populations they serve, partners can better assess where services are concentrated and where communities may be underserved.
CHWs bring critical perspective to this process. Their lived experience and direct relationships with community members allow them to surface challenges that may not be fully captured through quantitative data alone. Organizational progress in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, along with increased CHW participation in decision-making, reinforces the importance of centering CHW voice in distribution planning. When CHWs are actively involved in identifying underserved areas, strategies become more community-informed, culturally responsive, and effective in reaching those most in need, ensuring CHW distribution is both data-informed and grounded in real community context.
Coordinating Deployment Across Organizations
Stronger cross-organizational coordination is needed to move beyond siloed efforts and ensure CHWs are distributed based on community need rather than organizational boundaries.
Aligning efforts across partners allows for shared planning, clearer visibility of where CHWs are currently deployed, and identification of gaps across the county. By coordinating across organizations, partners can collectively determine how to allocate CHWs and resources more strategically, ensuring that priority populations are reached.
This approach builds on existing efforts while creating a more unified system for CHW distribution. When organizations collaborate, rather than operate independently, they strengthen their ability to respond to population health priorities and improve equitable access to care.
Conclusion
Equitable access requires intentional distribution. By using Community Health Assessments to guide placement, centering CHW voice in identifying underserved areas, and coordinating deployment across organizations, Mecklenburg County can move from fragmented efforts to a unified, equity-driven approach that improves access and outcomes. Baseline findings show that CHWs are already contributing to data collection and community insight, positioning them as essential partners in shaping where and how services are delivered. Strengthening coordination across organizations and aligning efforts through shared strategies creates an opportunity to maximize the impact of the existing workforce, improve visibility of where resources are needed most, and ensure CHWs and their institutional resources are accessible to the communities that need them most.
References
- Mecklenburg County Community Health Worker Initiative. (2024). Cultivating Community Change Together: Mecklenburg County’s Community Health Worker Initiative Comprehensive Action Plan to Improve Access to Care. Mecklenburg County Public Health Department.