TNCHWA partnered with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) on developing a program accreditation process for organizations employing CHWs in Tennessee. TNCHWA Executive Director Nikayla Boyd highlighted the importance of including the voices of CHWs. “Community health workers have been doing this work for decades,” notes Nikayla. “This accreditation elevates existing programs by providing a structure that helps them document their processes. Our goal in working with NCQA was to create a process that is fair and achievable for organizations of all sizes.”

NCQA brought their expertise in creating an infrastructure, establishing requirements, offering training and technical assistance for onsite reviewers, and compiling results. Together, NCQA and TNCHWA crated the framework of standards and the process for providing evidence of compliance.

This collaborative story was featured in a November 2024 post by Becky Kolinski, and it discusses building a framework for accountability, how NCQA supports TNCHWA, and the sustainability of CHW services. 

Follow this link to read the full post. https://www.ncqa.org/blog/tennessee-recognizes-the-vital-role-of-community-health-workers/