How Community Health Workers Improve Vaccine Confidence among Hispanic/Latino Older Adults

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Community Health Workers are trusted members of their community who empower their peers through education and connections to health and social resources. This session will provide an introduction to the Community Health Worker (CHW) profession and how CHWs are instrumental in connecting with hard-to-reach populations. Hispanic older adults have experienced hesitancy around getting lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, often due to a mistrust in health and government agencies and misinformation from peers. Mistrust often stems from a dark history of unethical government and medical practices. Community Health Workers (CHWs) help increase knowledge and address their concerns to build confidence in vaccines. They do this through building trusting relationships, providing health education and connections to health and social resources. Presenters will discuss strategies CHWs/other professions may use to boost vaccine confidence in the Hispanic/Latino community and other marginalized groups.

Shannon Patrick, MPH

Health Strategy Specialist

MHP Salud

Shannon Patrick received a master’s in public health from the University of Michigan in Health Behavior and Health Education and has four years of experience managing Community Health Worker programs in Hispanic communities. She was a Program Director with MHP Salud’s Strengthening Aging Services for Older Hispanic Adults program, a minority Technical Assistance Resource Center (TARC), funded by the Administration for Community Living from 2020-2023. Shannon is currently working with MHP Salud as a Health Strategy Specialist, providing training and technical assistance to community health centers across the country on the role of Community Health Workers in reaching special and vulnerable populations, specifically migratory and seasonal agricultural workers. Shannon has experience teaching, conducting research, and presenting her work at various local, state, and national level conferences.