Congratulations to Samantha Sabo who was honored with a special recognition award for her commitment to the Community Health Representative (CHR) workforce and policy efforts in the state. The Community Health Representative Policy and Planning Committee presented Dr. Sabo with the recognition award at the “CHR Summit V Community Health Representatives into the Future, Still Going Strong,” at the Casino Del Sol Pascua Yaqui Reservation, Aug. 20-22.
Brook Bender, community health representative for the Hualapai Health Department, said they honored Dr. Sabo for her “continued support, specifically with CHWs and CHRs.”
“She is a champion for seeking funding, a champion for advocacy, and she is consistently at the table talking about all the amazing things CHRs do for their communities,” Bender said. “She is consistently there, bringing CHR issues to the forefront of the CHW (community health workers) issues by initiating research projects, analyzing data, and conducting program evaluations. Her continued effort to partner with the tribal CHR program makes our efforts essential.”
This is the fifth anniversary of the summit. Dr. Sabo was a founding member of the CHR Summit since its inception.
Dr. Sabo is an associate professor in Health Sciences and a researcher with the Center for Health Equity Research at Northern Arizona University. For more than a decade, she has focused on the role and impact of CHW workforce interventions and advocacy to improve the social determinants of chronic disease and maternal and child health. She has completed several CHW workforce studies to support building and sustaining the CHW workforce in Arizona and nationally.
“It is a huge honor to be recognized by tribes in Arizona for my commitment to the CHR workforce,” Dr. Sabo said. “CHRs are a vital component to the health and well-being of tribal communities and it is an honor to work on their behalf.”