GONZALES — Gonzales City Manager Rene Mendez and Community Engagement Director Carmen Gil were presenters at the 2022 Western Forum for Migrant and Community Health Conference held last week in Portland, Ore.
The topic of their presentation was “Community Health Workers: Supporting Special Populations through a Pandemic.”
Mendez and Gil were invited to speak on the process the city developed to implement a Community Health Worker program to educate and support the city’s most vulnerable community members during the pandemic.
Gonzales began its Community Health Workers (CHW) program in November 2020 and became a partner in the VIDA (Virus Integrated Distribution of Aid) CHW program that began in January 2021.
More than 110 CHWs in 10 countywide organizations were trained as part of the program and are equipped to deliver information about the importance of Covid-19 testing and vaccinations and assist community members with access to resources.
Gonzales was one of the first cities in Monterey County to exceed 90% of eligible residents receiving at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The April 11-13 conference was hosted by the Northwest Regional Primary Care Association, a member organization that strengthens community and migrant health centers by leveraging regional power and resources on their behalf.
