| 41 | | - | WHEREAS, social determinants of health are non-medical factors affecting health, such as socioeconomic status and geographic location; and WHEREAS, social determinants of health include the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age; and WHEREAS, social determinants encompass economic policies, development agendas, social norms, social policies, race and ethnicity, climate change, and political structures; and WHEREAS, community health workers are trusted members of local communities who share lived experiences with their neighbors and peers and are experts in navigating complex systems of care and serving as a link between clinical and community-based services and the people who need them most; and WHEREAS, community health workers have been shown to reduce the burden of illness among people with chronic diseases and to improve their ability to manage their own conditions; and WHEREAS, working with community health workers can improve one's personal health literacy, which is the degree to which individuals can find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others; and WHEREAS, federal, state, municipal, and local jurisdictions across the country consider quality assurance and minimum standards for community health workers; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is requested to convene a task force to identify and develop minimum professional standards for community health worker training programs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to invite representatives of the following stakeholders to serve on the task force: (1) A representative from the Department of Health, who shall serve as the chair of the task force; (2) One community health worker from each county; (3) A representative from the Hawaii Public Health Institute; (4) A representative from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; (5) A representative from the Med-QUEST Division of the Department of Human Services; (6) A representative from the University of Hawaii West Oahu; (7) A representative from Kapiolani Community College; (8) A representative from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii; (9) A representative from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans; (10) A representative from Papa Ola Lokahi; (11) A representative from the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Community Health Worker Alliance; (12) A representative from the Hawaii Primary Care Association; (13) A representative from a community-based grassroots organization, such as Kaʻu Rural Health Community Association, Inc.; and (14) Any additional members with appropriate specialized expertise recommended by task force members and approved by the chair; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no member be made subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of the member's participation in the task force; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to provide administrative support to the task force; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report to the Legislature, including any recommendations and proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, who is in turn requested to transmit a copy to each stakeholder invited to the task force. Report Title: DOH; Community Health Worker Training Programs; Task Force; Report |
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| 41 | + | WHEREAS, social determinants of health are non-medical factors affecting health, such as socioeconomic status and geographic location; and WHEREAS, social determinants of health include the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age; and WHEREAS, social determinants encompass economic policies, development agendas, social norms, social policies, race and ethnicity, climate change, and political structures; and WHEREAS, community health workers are trusted members of local communities who share lived experiences with their neighbors and peers and are experts in navigating complex systems of care and serving as a link between clinical and community-based services and the people who need them most; and WHEREAS, community health workers have been shown to reduce the burden of illness among people with chronic diseases and to improve their ability to manage their own conditions; and WHEREAS, working with community health workers can improve one's personal health literacy, which is the degree to which individuals can find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others; and WHEREAS, federal, state, municipal, and local jurisdictions across the country consider quality assurance and minimum standards for community health workers; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is requested to establish a task force to identify and develop minimum professional standards for community health worker training programs; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to invite representatives of the following stakeholders to serve on the task force: (1) A representative from the Department of Health, who shall serve as the chair of the task force; (2) One community health worker from each county; (3) A representative from the Hawaii Public Health Institute; (4) A representative from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; (5) A representative from the Med-QUEST Division of the Department of Human Services; (6) A representative from the University of Hawaii West Oahu; (7) A representative from Kapiolani Community College; (8) A representative from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii; (9) A representative from the Hawaii Association of Health Plans; and (10) Any additional members with appropriate specialized expertise recommended by task force members and approved by the chair; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no member be made subject to chapter 84, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of the member's participation in the task force; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to provide administrative support to the task force; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report to the Legislature, including any recommendations and proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, who is in turn requested to transmit a copy to each stakeholder invited to the task force. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: DOH; Community Health Worker Training Programs; Task Force; Report |
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