The simple answer is, yes! Many health centers across the country utilize Community Health Workers (CHWs), but they are far from universally adopted.

Key Facts on CHW Usage in Health Centers

• According to a 2018 study, only 28.3% of health centers reported employing any CHW full-time equivalents (FTEs) PMC.
• Even though the number of health centers reporting CHW FTEs grew by 41% between 2016 and 2018, the average number of CHWs per center remains relatively flat, growing only around 4% PMC.
• Factors that make health centers more likely to employ CHWs include:
  • Larger patient volumes—they often have more resources and better grant access.
  • Urban setting—urban health centers are more likely to utilize CHWs.
  • In contrast, rural health centers are less likely to employ CHWs; yet, interestingly, when rural centers do adopt CHWs, they tend to employ a larger number of them—about 1.665 more FTEs than urban health centers PMC.
• Funding remains a major barrier: health centers often rely on grant funding or “enabling services” budgets to support CHW staffing, and limited funding streams make expanding their role challenging PMC.

So, while many health centers have begun integrating CHWs into their care teams, the majority (nearly 70%) still do not employ CHWs. Growth is steady, but financial and structural hurdles persist. There are some states where CHW work can be reimbursed via state Medicaid, and that should be a strong consideration for adoption.