Community health workers have been used in health centers for several decades. Known by various names (e.g., community health advisors, outreach workers, promotoras), they are trusted community members providing informal community-based health-related services and establishing vital links between health providers and the community. They perform many functions, including outreach and case finding, health education, translation, patient transportation, and case management (under the supervision of a nurse or social worker). This article, based on a study of community health worker programs at seven sites, is intended to share the lessons learned that could be helpful to other program managers and to examine the outcomes of such programs.

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Since participation in managed care is critical for community health centers' (CHCs) survival, centers must demonstrate their good performance to purchasers (e.g., state Medicaid agencies) and health plans. Such measures also can contribute to quality improvement. Ideally, the effort would use measures and methods widely recognized in the managed care industry, logically the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS). This article summarizes a feasibility study of applying HEDIS clinical measures to CHCs as providers. It finds that, with concerted, well-directed efforts, it will be possible to use clinical HEDIS measures in health centers.