Community Organizer Kathy Murphy of United Interfaith Action (UIA) convened the first networking meeting for Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Southeastern Massachusetts at Fort Taber in the South End of New Bedford on June 27, 2014. The meeting was organized to enable CHWs to network and to learn about the work that each of them is doing throughout the South Coast. They also heard a report on cancer health disparities in Fall River and New Bedford by Janice Hynson and Jackie Nolan of the the John Snow Inc. Research and Training Institute  The session is part of a project to develop a training center designed to prepare CHWs to work in medical and community settings. through recruitment, job-training, and workforce development. A number of grant opportunities are currently being explored. UIA has already been involved in an initial project to provide Basic Level Training for a small group and plans to reach out through local parishes to identify others with an interest. Click here for a 54-minute video of the first part of the meeting and here for a one-hour-and-eight-minute video of the cancer health disparities presentation. Click here for photos of a March 10th meeting and here for photos of an earlier meeting. For more information about UIA, contact Kathy Murphy at 508-673-4670.
 

(Top row, left) Presenter Cecil Hickman of the Dog Tags Navigators chats with Laura Carreau and Marianne DeSouza before the meeting. (Top row, center and right) Catherine Bourassa and Ana Silva of the New Bedford YWCA chat with Wendy Montella of Southcoast Health and Jenny Shubow. (Row two, left and right) Presenter Southcoast Health Community Benefits Manager Kerry Mello talks with Department of Public Health Southeast Regional Director Ron O'Connor while Sylvia Hilton and Sara Loranger of Coastline Elderly Services chat. (Row three, left) Community Organizer Kathy Murphy welcomes the participants to some presentations followed by a networking opportunity where each person introduces themselves to the others while standing in a line. (Row three, right) Presenter Catherine Bourassa of Coastline Elderly Services introduces herself to Michelle Guilbeault-Bartlett of the Southcoast RAPPP Program. (Row four) Jackie Nolan of the John Snow Inc. Research and Training Institute (JSI) directs the group to move one person to the left as Ron O'Connor talks with Viviane of the New Bedford Community Health Center and Valentina Martinez of the YWCA talks with Jenny Shubow. (Bottom row, left) John H. Clark talks with RAPPP Program Coordinator Cindy Guilbeault as RAPPP staff member Billy Junkins, behind them, talks with another participant. (Bottom row, center) Wendy Montella, Linda Mae Pittsley and Christine Barboco of Coastline laugh as Leonard Pittsley tells a funny story. (Bottom row, right) Jackie Nolan of JSI concludes the morning with a presentation on cancer health disparities.