Summit

The Annual SE CHW Network Summit

The annual summit provides a space for individuals within the SE CHW Network to gather together to acknowledge the impact of the work they do in their communities, share best practices, and address challenges and barriers.

Previous Southeast CHW Network Summits

  • 2025 Southeast Community Health Worker Network Summit

    Thursday September 18th and Friday September 19th

    Central Bank Center
    Lexington, KY

    Event Flyer
    Summit Agenda

    The 2025 KYACHW x SECHWN Summit was a transformative two-day gathering that brought together Community Health Workers (CHWs), allies, and partners from across the Southeast to share, strategize, and strengthen the future of the CHW workforce. Held at the Central Bank Center in Lexington, KY, the summit served as a powerful platform for elevating CHW leadership, expanding state-to-state collaboration, and addressing the urgent needs facing our communities.

    We opened with an energizing welcome from the Southeast Community Health Worker Network and the Kentucky Association of Community Health Workers, followed by a keynote address from Lyndon Pryor, President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League, who charged the room with bold vision and real-world insight.

    Across three breakout blocks and multiple general sessions, attendees explored critical topics from maternal health, trauma recovery, and faith-based outreach to policy advocacy, clinical integration, and CHW supervision. Notable highlights included:

    • A live rollout of the CHW Advocacy Toolkit, equipping attendees with actionable resources to organize and influence policy.

    • A dynamic poster session showcasing CHW-led initiatives and research.

    • Workshops that dove into the realities of CHW caseloads, strategies for working with parents navigating substance use, and adapting health literacy tools for multilingual communities.

    • Friday’s general sessions, including "Workforce Sustainability Through Community Engagement" and "Advocacy in a Time of State and Federal Uncertainty", grounded attendees in real-time policy challenges and collective resilience.

    The summit also honored CHW excellence through awards, shared resources via a vibrant exhibitor hall, and provided wellness touches like professional headshots and a self-care/breastfeeding room throughout the event.

  • 2024 Southeast Community Health Worker Network Summit

    Thursday December 12th and Friday December 13th

    Crowne Plaza Midtown
    Atlanta, GA


    Event Flyer
    Summit Agenda
    Post Summit Recap

    The Southeast Community Health Worker Network closed out 2024 with an impactful virtual Summit that centered on advancing policy, building unity, and empowering CHW leadership across the region. With representation from over a dozen states, this convening marked a critical moment to reflect, collaborate, and mobilize as we prepare for what's ahead.

    The day began with a powerful welcome and roll call, setting the tone for collective celebration and alignment. Our opening presentation challenged participants to think deeply about what solidarity looks like in a diverse, multi-state CHW workforce. It laid a foundation for authentic relationship-building across differences while emphasizing shared goals.

    Participants then broke into regional workgroups for structured dialogue, strategy exchange, and feedback collection. These sessions were action-oriented and deeply tied to our 2025 roadmap.

    The Policy Working Group shared key updates and offered a transparent look at progress made, upcoming opportunities, and the roles CHWs and allies can play in shaping policy that supports workforce sustainability and reciprocity across the Southeast. The session provided space for input and helped reinforce CHW leadership at the policy table.

    In a compelling closing session, we spotlighted CHW Voices & Vision, where participants reflected on 2024 wins and momentum. States shared updates on internal priorities, regional progress, and outlined ways to stay connected through our listserv and monthly meetings.

    Throughout the Summit, we reaffirmed SECHWN’s commitment to elevating CHW leadership, advancing workforce equity, and strengthening our regional infrastructure in collaboration with allies, funders, and community-based partners. This gathering was a launchpad into a unified 2025.

  • 2023 Southeast Community Health Worker Network Summit

    Thursday September 14th and Friday September 15th

    Hilton Charlotte Airport2800 Coliseum Centre Dr.Charlotte, NC 28217
    Event Flyer
    Summit Agenda (with links to presentations)

    The 2023 SE CHW Network Summit was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. More than 200 CHWs, CHW Allies, and public health and healthcare professionals attended. While the majority of attendees were from the Southeast, others traveled from states like California and Michigan.

    We were excited to offer Continuing Education Credits to those who participated to ensure the conference contributed toward individual certifications and professional development!

    Do you need your CEU certificates? Please forward your completed evaluation emails to sechw@mailbox.sc.edu and you will receive your certificates in 7-10 business days.

  • 2022 Southeast Community Health Worker Network Summit

    Friday, December 9th

    DoubleTree by HiltonBirmingham Perimeter Park8 Perimeter Park SouthBirmingham, AL 35243

    9:00 am – 4:00 pm (CST)

    Event Flyer – English
    Event Flyer – Spanish
    Detailed Agenda
    Breakout Descriptions
    Pre-Summit Reception

    2022 General Session Summit Slide Deck

    The 2022 SE CHW Network Summit was held in Birmingham, Alabama. 130 CHWs, CHW Allies, and public health and healthcare professionals attended. While the majority of attendees were from the Southeast, others traveled from states like California and Arizona.

    Our keynote speaker Floribella Redondo-Martinez, a longstanding and well renowned CHW with over 30 years of experience as a leader in this field, is the President of the Arizona Community Health Workers Association. The keynote presentation covered the areas of reflexive CHW workforce advocacy to increase efficacy by understanding the importance and operationalization of self-care. We had seven innovative breakout sessions composed of over 25 speakers that covered topics requested by the SECHW Network during prior meetings which were selected for meeting desired criteria and high caliber. Within this cohort were presenters who provided information on: LGBTQIA+, Latinx youth and parenting, poetic ethnographic storytelling, self-care specific to our workforce, and leadership development to advance the growth of our field among others.

    We strategically planned to host the SE CHW Network Summit in Alabama, because it is one of the only states in our network that does not have an association or coalition. Many Alabama CHW leaders were able to connect and mobilize at the event. Great strides have been made to initiate the Alabama organization following the Summit. Equitable access was intentionally considered throughout the process of the planning of the summit and we were proud to include and offer live English/Spanish translation for sessions as well as American Sign Language interpretation.

    We were excited to offer Continuing Education Credits to those who participated to ensure the conference contributed toward individual certifications and professional development!

    Do you need your CEU certificates? Please forward your completed evaluation emails to sechw@mailbox.sc.edu and you will receive your certificates in 7-10 business days.

  • In 2021, CCHA was honored to host the first annual Southeast Community Health Worker Network Summit, with support from Johnson & Johnson’s Race to Health Equity Campaign, in December of 2021. Featured at the summit were speakers from organizations including Denise Smith, NACHW Executive Director; Dr. John Gilford, HHS Regional Health Administrator; Georgia Simpson, Regional Minority Health Analyst, Region I – New England, and more.

    Utilizing a virtual platform allowed CHWs, health professionals, and allies to meet other like-minded individuals and network with people they would otherwise be miles away from. The participants of the summit represented more than 16 U.S. states and territories! Summit participants were encouraged to join a variety of breakout rooms centered around CHW practices.

    • Summit Materials:

    • Link to full Summit video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9dxN0CT16c

    • Summit slides

    • Schedule of Events

      • Welcome & Poetry

      • CHW Regional Network History and Progress from Region I – Georgia Simpson, HHS Regional Minority Health Analyst, Region I

      • APHA Advancing Racial Equity & Violence Prevention – Abdul Hafeedh bin Abdullah, CHW-VPP, & Rumana Shams Rabbani, MHA, CHW-VPP

      • Opening Remarks – Dr. John Gilford, HHS Regional Health Administrator

      • Building the National Association of Community Health Workers – Denise Smith, NACHW Executive Director

      • Breakout Sessions

        • Advancing Policy to Support CHWs– Carl Rush, MRP NACHW Policy Advisor

        • SC CHW Ambassadors Program Overview – Andrea Heyward, CHWI Director; Jaquetta Graham, CHW; Rebekah Shilling, CHW, CEIM, CLC, FPHW, CPST, LCCE

      • State presentations

      • Menti: SE Network Summit menti.pdf

      • Spoken word from Dom Francis