Community Health Worker-Led Community Clinical on the U.S. / Mexico Border: Lessons Learned

Background: Community–clinical linkages (CCLs) connect public health organizations and health care providers to better support patients. Community health workers (CHWs), representatives from priority populations with special connections to their community, can lead CCLs. Objectives: Our objective was to learn about how to conduct a CHW-led CCL from the perspectives of those implementing the intervention. Methods: We conducted focus groups with CHWs and their supervisors and regularly consulted community partners while coding and analyzing data. Results: We learned that CHWs thrive when supported by peers, supervisors, institutions, and researchers. Supervisors— who are new to the CHW role—should consider seeking training in CHW professional development and performance evaluation. Focus group participants agreed that by balancing the strengths and weaknesses of their organization, CHW-led CCLs benefit patients because the collaboration helps them to better manage their health. Conclusions: Future CHW-led CCL practitioners should consider how to best institutionally support CHWs to maximize benefits for patients.