Community Health Worker Awareness Week was held from August 26th to 30th. We’re excited to keep highlighting community health workers from eastern Washington! Discover more about these incredible individuals who are making a real difference through their dedication, compassion, and relentless commitment to enhancing community health.
My name is Molly and I am a Community Health Worker.
How do you define a community health worker?
I define a community health worker as someone local in your community that is a trusted advisor, that is someone that you go to, that is the person who would have the answer or be able to assist in your needs.
How did you know you were a community health worker?
I knew that I was a community health worker because of the CEO of the hospital I worked at. People would start coming to my office and asking me to do this and do that. She came up to me and said, “You’re a community health worker.”
What is it like being a community health worker in your community?
I am, to my knowledge, the only community health worker in the Grand Coulee area. We’re very rural and isolated, with only a few options for any services. Part of being a community health worker is that we build that trust, and they are comfortable telling me things that they don’t tell other people. I know my client’s life. I know their background. I know their abilities, and I help them fill in the gaps.
In a perfect world, what do you see as the future of community health workers in Washington state?
In a perfect world, I would see community health workers in Washington state be a true part of the care team. We still have to explain what we do to some providers. It’s always eye-opening for them. They say, “That is the missing piece.”
How does it make you feel to be able to help someone who didn’t really have hope like that?
To help someone is one of my greatest joys. You feel it from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head, and it just tingles. I’m so glad that I know how to do that. If I didn’t do it, who would?
Learn more about community health worker programming at Better Health Together and how you can get involved!
