Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared August 2019 as Community Health Worker (CHW) Appreciation Month. During this month, we honor and thank Community Health Workers who create bridges from health care and human service providers to community members, and recognize that reaching at-risk, underserved communities is vital to improving the health of our state’s most vulnerable populations.

The declaration states that “Community Health Workers are essential to Michigan’s commitment to address inequitable distribution of health care and health outcomes based on income level, race/ethnicity, geography, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural background.”

There are more than 600 Community Health Workers serving Michigan residents. At WIN Network: Detroit, Community Health Workers are a key to our program’s success. WIN Network: Detroit CHWs co-facilitate group prenatal care sessions along with Certified Nurse Midwives, helping to address the social determinants of health that our patients may face. CHWs also provide home visits to our moms and families until their babies turn one year old. This extra support makes a huge difference in the lives of pregnant women and new moms.

Community Health Workers are advocates, educators, connectors, change-makers, home-visitors, liaisons, and so much more. We appreciate our WIN Network: Detroit Community Health Workers and all the CHWs across Michigan working each and every day to improve the health of their communities.

Our three amazing CHWs are Linda Reyes, Felicia Lane, and Nada Dickinson. Let’s hear how they think their role as a CHW helps them change lives:

Linda Reyes

“I change lives and make a difference by advocating for my community.”

Felicia Lane

“I change lives and make a difference by empowering others so that they can be the best version of themselves.”

“I change lives and make a difference by being a vehicle of change that helps women get on the road to success.”