On June 20th, Migrant Clinicians Network and the Washington State Department of Health will host an all-day conference for Community Health Champions -- community health workers, community health advisors, lay health advocates, promotores, outreach educators, community health representatives, peer health promoters, and peer health educators -- who are involved in evidence-based programs throughout Washington State. The conference’s goal is to empower these Community Health Champions by increasing their skills to improve the health of the community. The conference will provide professional development and networking opportunities, along with tools, resources, and practical skills-building sessions.

“Our community champions are essential for the implementation of evidence-based programs to fight against chronic conditions, particularly because underserved populations are at a disproportionate risk of facing chronic illnesses and experiencing lower quality health care,” said Ileana Ponce-Gonzales, MD, MPH, CNC, the organizer of the conference and MCN’s Senior Advisor for Scientific and Strategic Planning. “These programs are available throughout the state, but most of our underserved populations that need them are unaware of these programs.  As an common effort between the Washington State Department of Health and MCN, this conference will bring together all community champions who are working around the state in these programs to learn and share experiences, enhance capacity building, and facilitate collaboration among them and the research community.”

Participants will learn about the burden of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Washington State, as well as the vital role Community Health Champions play in conducting outreach and implementing evidence-based programs for the prevention and self-management of chronic conditions.  Participants will have the opportunity to network and collaborate with potential partners, and with the research community working on the same issues from the side of research. 

The keynote speech, presented by Mary Jo Ybarra-Vega, MS, LMHC, Outreach/Behavioral Health Coordinator, and Priscilla Tovar, Tomando Control Master Trainer, both at Quincy Community Health Center, will cover their own successes in their program in central Washington state. 

The event, which includes lunch and light refreshments, is $50. Register for the event on the Health Champions webpage. 

Help us spread the word on this unique opportunity for Washington State Community Health Champions. Share the full agenda with your colleagues, forward this message to your coworkers, and post the event flyer in your community. We are also looking for conference sponsors to help keep registration costs low for participants, to ensure that all health champions can afford to attend. Become a sponsor -- and let your local businesses know about the opportunity to sponsor.

Agenda (English) | Agenda (Español)