- info@tnchwa.org
The Tennessee Community Health Worker Association (TNCHWA) is proud to announce its strategic partnership with TennCare and the National Committee for Quality Assurance in the launch of a pioneering Community Health Worker (CHW) Program Accreditation initiative. This collaboration is a pivotal step towards ensuring that agencies adhere to standards rooted in Best Practices, which are essential for the development of quality CHW programs.
Over the next three years, TNCHWA will lead the implementation of this accreditation program, initially working with a diverse range of agencies. These agencies encompass both smaller organizations and larger hospital systems, each of which may potentially be interested in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for the vital services provided by CHWs.
The establishment of the seven agency standards is based on a comprehensive foundation. These standards draw upon the experience and insights of successful American CHW programs, the robust body of academic research affirming the positive influence of CHWs on health outcomes, and input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders in Tennessee. This diverse group includes CHWs, their supervisors, academic contributors, the Tennessee Department of Health, as well as state and private agencies and healthcare providers. These entities have collectively convened through facilitation by the Tennessee Community Health Worker Association and TennCare.
These standards aim to provide the basic support needed for CHWs to realize their full potential in improving the health of their clients and patients. This potential is evidenced by well-documented health improvements demonstrated in numerous research studies.
The seven CHW program accreditation standards can be viewed here.
TNCHWA seeks feedback on the proposed CHW program accreditation standards. Reviewers are asked to submit comments to TNCHWA using the information below by 5:00 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, November 22.
Comment instructions:
1. To comment, click here.
2. Click to select your support option (e.g., Support, Do not support, Support with modifications). Note: If you choose Do not support, include the reason in the Comments box. If you choose Support with modifications, enter the suggested modifications in the Comments box.
3. Enter any additional comments for the standard in the Comments box. Note: Comments may not be more than 2,500 characters. We suggest you develop comments in Word to check your character limit and save a copy for reference. Use the “cut and paste” function to copy your comment into the Comments box. You can save and return later. You will receive an email to continue editing after you save.
4. Click Submit at the end of the form when all comments are added. You will receive a copy of your comments via email. All comments are due by 5:00 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, November 22.
TNCHWA appreciates the time and effort required to submit comments, and reviews all feedback submitted within the public comment period. Due to the high volume of comments received, TNCHWA cannot respond to individual comments, but the program standards committee will consider comments and advise TNCHWA staff.
For technical issues, please email tnchwa@gmail.com.
TNCHWA, established in 2021, empowers and supports community health workers (CHWs) in Tennessee. As the primary organization for CHWs in the state, we promote their vital role in improving health outcomes for residents.