2025 Massachusetts Outstanding CHW of the Year

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    Award Benefits

    MACHW will provide the following for the awardee:

    • The CHW awardee will receive an award plaque during the CHW Conference in the DCU Convention Center, 50 Foster St, Worcester, MA 01608 on June 6th, 2025
    • Profile of the awardee will be disseminated in local papers, public health and state foundations newsletters, posted on MACHW’s web page and social media outlets.
    • Registration fees for the CHW Annual Conference will be waived.
    • Awardee will receive a certificate of award from MACHW by mail if not attending the CHW Annual Conference.

    Nomination Deadline: May 21st, 2025

    Background

    The Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers (MACHW) wants to recognize and honor the outstanding service, dedication, and excellence of individuals and groups of individuals who serve their communities as Community Health Workers (CHWs). The APHA definition of a CHW is: “A frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the CHW to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.” CHWs may use other titles (e.g. patient navigator, outreach worker, etc.) we encourage you to nominate anyone who fits the above description.

    To honor those efforts, MACHW has four awards:

    1. Outstanding CHW of the Year Award
    2. Outstanding CHW Supervisor of the Year Award
    3. Outstanding CHW Program of the Year Award
    4. CHW Champion of the Year Award

    In 2025, four awards will be given. The “Outstanding CHW of the Year Award” will recognize one outstanding CHW for her/his/their service and excellence. The “Outstanding CHW Supervisor of the Year Award” will recognize one outstanding CHW Supervisor for her/his/their service and excellence. The “Outstanding CHW Program of the Year Award” will be given to a group of outstanding CHWs. The “CHW Champion of the Year Award” will recognize one exceptional CHW for her/his/their courage in going above and beyond expectations. Please refer to the group packet to apply for these awards. Awards are open to all CHWs in Massachusetts.

    Permissions

    By submitting a nomination for the MACHW Awards, Nominator and Nominee agree that all or parts of the information contained within the nomination can be released by MACHW in forms that may include but are not limited to press releases, website postings, e-mail announcements, and newsletter articles.

    Cause for Award Revocation

    MACHW reserves the right to revoke an award after informing the recipient of receipt but prior to accepting the award at the PN/CHW Annual Conference for the following reasons: unethical actions on the part of the recipient; and unbecoming behavior while serving as a CHW so that the CHW is no longer in good standing with his or her community

    Nomination Process & Requirements

    The following are required to nominate an Outstanding CHW of the Year:

    1. The completed MACHW Award Nomination Form.
    2. A Personal Statement. The personal statement should be written by the individual being nominated, and should not exceed one single spaced, typed page, 1” margins, 12pt font, and include the following information:
      • An explanation of your work/ job functions/duties and description of your CHW activities;
      • Length of involvement and service as a CHW;
      • Description of the populations and communities you serve; and
      • Briefly describe one case where you used your competencies as a CHW to successfully serve a client/patient.
    3. A Nomination Statement. This section is completed by the individual (s) making the nomination and should not exceed one single-spaced typed pages, 1” margins, 12pt font. The nominator should address the following questions in the nomination statement*:
      • How do you know the CHW being nominated (former client, colleague, etc.)
      • How has the CHW demonstrated effectiveness in improving the health of her/his/their clients/patients?
      • How has the CHW demonstrated effectiveness in increasing her/his/their client’s access to health care services?
      • How has the CHW improved the quality of her/his/their patient’s care by
        • Providing cultural mediation
        • Facilitating improved doctor-patient communication
        • Providing links to health and social services.
      • How has the CHW helped tailor the program s/he works in to better meet community needs?

        *Best Practice Guidelines for Implementing and Evaluating Community Health Worker Programs in Health Care Settings, Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI), 2014
    4. Additional Information (Optional) – The nominator may submit additional materials that demonstrate the hard work and dedication of the nominee. Supplemental materials may be scanned and emailed, and MAY NOT exceed 10 pages in length. Examples may include: case stories; letters of recommendation from the target population; news clippings, articles, press releases; articles/publications; reports on project outcomes; letters from partnering agencies; video clips (of CHW/Promotor (a) assisting a client, community events, news program, etc.); education materials or tools developed by the CHW/promotora, etc.
    5. Award Feedback Form (Optional)

    Application Checklist

    In order to make sure your nomination is complete, please complete the checklist below. Note: Nominations without all required information CANNOT be considered.

    __Full Name of Nominee                                                                                   

    __Completed MACHW Award Nomination Form

    __Personal Statement (Completed by individual being nominated)

    __Nomination Statement (Completed by individuals(s) making the nomination)

    __Supplemental materials (optional)

    __Award Feedback Form (optional)

    Nomination Form