Building an Equitable Community Engagement Program

In 2021, Washington County (WC) received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to create a community engagement program with community health workers (CHWs). The goal was to reach underserved populations, address social determinants of health through an equity lens and promote access to county programs and while advocating for systems change. In 2022, the Community Engagement (CE) Team was formed and began the work. I will share the steps we took to hire a diverse team of CHWs and highlight the successes and challenges the CE Team has had in the last two and a half years advancing equity in Washington County communities.

Presenter Bio:

Dr. Murugi Mutiga holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a PhD in Nutrition with a minor in Health Equity. She works for Washington County leading the development of their first community engagement program with a team of four community health workers. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in community engagement and community-driven research. Dr. Mutiga is committed to advancing the health and wellbeing of marginalized communities. She lives in St Paul, MN with her husband and they have two young adults in graduate school. She loves cooking, traveling, and gardening.

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MPHA Health Equity Committee meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Currently all meetings are virtual. Meetings are open to MPHA members and non-members who want to learn more and take action on advancing health equity in Minnesota. 

For more information about the Health Equity Committee,  please email healthequity@mpha.net and we will get back to you! The committee is co-chaired by Madison Anderson, Erica Fishman, and Sara Rogers.