“Part of getting to where we are is because we have been open to change” integrating community health workers on care teams at ten Ryan White HIV/AIDS program recipient sites

Authors: Linda Sprague Martinez , Melissa Davoust, Serena Rajabiun, Allyson Baughman, Sara S. Bachman, Rachel Bowers-Sword, Maria Campos Rojo, Marena Sullivan and Mari-Lynn Drainoni

There is insufficient evidence about how community health workers (CHWs) are best integrated into HIV care in the United States. The authors of this study evaluated the integration of CHWs into Ryan White HIV/AIDS program sites. They found that when integrating CHWs, organizations revised, (re)defined, and differentiated professional roles and organizational policies. They conclude that organizational-level changes are important in the successful integration of CHWs and emphasize that CHWs must have clear roles within the care system.