The NCHWTC attended and presented at the 14th Annual CHW Unity Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on May 21 – 23. Around 250 Community Health Workers and allies from across the country participated in the conference, designed to address the ‘Triple Aim: Access to Care, Reducing Costs, and Promoting Healthy Communities.’ Katharine Nimmons represented the NCHWTC by leading two workshops and hosting a roundtable session over the course of the conference.
On Wednesday afternoon, Katharine guided a full room of participants through an interactive skill building workshop focusing on cultivating a passionate and committed CHW workforce in the face of burnout. The session was titled: “Tips for Maintaining CHWs’ Passion and Preventing Burnout”, and focused on sharing lessons learned through NCHWTC research and outreach activities. Session participants contributed suggestions from their own experiences as well. It was a dynamic and engaging 90 minutes!
On Thursday, Katharine spoke about the center’s recently concluded two-year cancer education intervention, EPICO, at a roundtable session entitled “Techniques and Results from a CHW-led Cancer Education Intervention in South Texas”. The roundtable highlighted the steps in the EPICO project’s development, implementation, evaluation, and findings, delivered to an audience of CHWs and employers. Later that afternoon, Katharine led participants through a series of relaxation techniques in a personal development session.
Also on Thursday, Ms. Paula Saldana was recognized as an honorable mention for the Esther M. Holderby Dedicated CHW Award. This award is a testament to Paula’s great impact on her own community. The NCHWTC is lucky to have her as an instructor!
Overall, the Unity Conference was a wonderful opportunity to share the work NCHWTC engages in and supports in Texas with other CHWs, training centers, and stakeholders from across the United States.