PIH-US Supports Second Annual State Advocacy Day in North Carolina
Community health workers and allies from across the state gather in Raleigh, North Carolina, to educate legislators.
Posted on Jun 4, 2024
On May 15, more than 100 community health workers and allies from across North Carolina convened at the capital in Raleigh, to educate representatives about the critical role of community health workers across the state.
Throughout the day, which was hosted by the North Carolina Community Health Worker Association (NCCHWA) and its partners, including PIH-US, advocates met with over 70 representatives to discuss community health workers’ impact on advancing the state's health priorities and the critical need for sustainable funding to ensure every North Carolinian receives the support and care they deserve.
Below, we share a selection of photos from the day.
Honey Yang Estrada (center), President of NCCHWA, welcomes participants from across the state to Advocacy Day. The NCCHWA, established in 2021, serves as the professional home for community health workers in North Carolina. Since its formalization, NCCHWA has led the development of a robust and coordinated workforce that serves all 100 counties in the state. Community health workers in attendance represented various sectors, from local government to health care and social services. For many participants, it was their first time attending an Advocacy Day. Photo by Olivia Moreno
From left to right: Ivan Almonte, Sharon Muñoz, Patricia Obregón, Nayeli Garcia, and Romelia Salgado pose for a photo before meeting with legislators. Advocacy Days serve as a platform to educate legislators on a specific issue. At this year’s Advocacy Day, community health workers emphasized the role the workforce plays in three key areas: informing communities about Medicaid and assisting with the enrollment process; providing crucial support for mental health and behavioral health, including facilitating access to preventative services and treatment, and connecting individuals to necessary resources; and improving maternal and child health by educating families on perinatal care and healthy lifestyle choices while serving as navigators to maternal and child health services. By sharing examples and personal anecdotes, participants helped their representatives better understand the need for greater investments in the community health worker workforce. Photo by Ivan Almonte
Jovanka Diaz, Yuli Bermudez, and María Sánchez (all in red) asked their local representative to support HB1026, which would provide critical financial support to NCCHWA in mobilizing, training, and certifying community health workers. They also spoke with him about the NC Medicaid Strategy, which would employ 350 community health workers to help improve health outcomes for both current Medicaid beneficiaries and those newly eligible through Medicaid expansion. Photo courtesy of Jovanka Diaz
PIH-US Senior Manager, Taylor Norris (second from the left) poses with from left to right: City of Henderson Mayor, Melissa Elliott, Micheal Venable, Dasha Stutson, and Maria Marshal. PIH-US' North Carolina team supported the NCCHWA with the planning and implementation of Advocacy Day by assisting with legislator scheduling and training advocates to ensure they felt comfortable and confident talking with their representatives. Photo by Melissa Elliott
