Dallas County proclaims Community Health Worker Day as association seeks data on workforce distribution

The Dallas County Commissioners Court unanimously declared April 26, 2025, Community Health Worker Day after a presentation from the Dallas‑Fort Worth Community Health Worker Association.

Denise Hernandez, executive director of the association, thanked the court and described the role community health workers play across neighborhoods. “This resolution is more than a recognition. It's a reflection of the value Dallas County places on community‑driven care and health equity,” Hernandez said.

Commissioners pressed for more actionable data. Commissioner John Wiley Price asked whether there were identifiable “holes” in service delivery and whether Parkland or other health systems had seen cuts that reduced CHW deployment. Hernandez said the state Department of State Health Services publishes an annual report and that Region 23 (which includes the Dallas area) is one of the largest concentrations of CHWs in Texas; she also said certified CHW numbers in Texas had climbed from roughly 6,000 to more than 8,000 since the pandemic.

Hernandez agreed to provide the court with the association’s landscape assessment and any maps showing concentrations so commissioners can better target outreach and funding decisions.

Ending: The court adopted the resolution unanimously and asked the association to send maps and a CHW landscape assessment for the county; commissioners asked public‑health and hospital partners to consider CHWs in planning and outreach.

Votes: The resolution declaring April 26 as Community Health Worker Day passed unanimously.