New Resolution Backs Community Health Workers, Calling for Sustainable Funding and Fair Wages

This resolution isn't about changing the law, but it’s a big deal for the people who act as the essential bridge between your neighborhood and the often-confusing healthcare system: Community Health Workers (CHWs). The bill supports designating the week of August 25–29, 2025, as the third annual "National Community Health Worker Awareness Week." More importantly, it officially recognizes their vital role and pushes for them to get paid fairly for it.

The People Who Actually Connect the Dots

Think of a CHW as the person who actually understands your life—whether you’re juggling three jobs, dealing with a language barrier, or live miles from the nearest clinic. The resolution defines them as trusted members of the community who connect people to necessary health and social services, making sure those services are culturally sensitive. They are the reason a new parent gets critical prenatal care or why someone with diabetes finally understands how to manage their condition outside of a doctor’s office. The bill explicitly lists ten core functions, from providing health education that makes sense locally to helping coordinate complex care and advocating for community needs.

Why This Recognition Matters for Your Wallet and Well-Being

While this is an awareness resolution, it lands a crucial punch by highlighting the need for sustainable funding for the CHW workforce. Why should you care? Because if these workers aren't reliably funded, they can’t earn fair market wages, and organizations can’t keep them. Losing CHWs means losing effective outreach in critical areas like maternal health, chronic disease management, and vaccination efforts. The resolution is essentially Congress saying, “These folks are effective, they save lives and money, and we need to stop treating them like temporary volunteers.” For the average person, stable funding for CHWs means better access to consistent, trustworthy health guidance, potentially reducing costly emergency room visits and improving long-term health outcomes.

The Real-World Impact: From Outreach to Advocacy

This resolution acknowledges that CHWs go by many names—like promotores de salud—and are already professionally certified in 27 states. They are the ones providing direct services like blood pressure checks and helping meet basic needs, all while assessing what’s actually happening on the ground in your neighborhood. By encouraging local, state, and federal collaboration, the resolution aims to formalize and strengthen this workforce. This means if you are struggling to navigate a complex system—say, getting your child enrolled in a new dental program or finding stable housing—a recognized and supported CHW network is more likely to be there to help you cut through the red tape, acting as a crucial, non-judgmental guide.