All training can be found on the event calendar on IPHA’s website.

If you have any recommendations, topic ideas, or speakers for our Lunch & Learns, please complete this form and we will try our best to accommodate your recommendations.

Publication by an Illinois CHW

Hend Jadalla, MBCHB, MPH

Hend Jadalla is a trained CHW and a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). She completed her CHW training through the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA). With a strong commitment to public health, social connection, and health equity, she has led and supported numerous campus and community initiatives. From conducting health screenings to leading injury prevention projects and publishing impactful research on tobacco and telehealth access, her work reflects a passion for helping underserved populations thrive.

Hend implemented the FUNIP (Facilities and Energy Management Understanding Needs of Injury Prevention) Project at SIUC, which focused on reducing occupational injuries among the university’s highest-risk workforce. By analyzing injury trends and collaborating with the Center for Environmental Health and Safety, she helped develop tailored, evidence-based training and safety materials aligned with OSHA standards. This initiative promoted a culture of safety, strengthened public health infrastructure, and highlighted the power of data-driven, employee-centered interventions.

Her volunteer and leadership work includes coordinating and contributing to community health fairs with Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH), bringing health services to the Evergreen Terrace housing community, and organizing impactful programs such as academic success workshops, safety presentations, wellness sessions, and family-oriented events like the “Back to School” backpack giveaway and the Green Earth Pumpkin Glow Paint Event. In her role as a Graduate Assistant of Student Success and Development, Hend led a series of workshops addressing research skills, stress management, and campus resource awareness, helping students thrive both academically and personally. She also participated in the Coldest Night of the Year walk, supporting efforts to combat homelessness through the Carbondale Warming Center.

Additionally, she has been nominated for and awarded the Graduate Professional Student Council (GPSC) 2025 Distinguished & Outstanding Service Award as recognition for all her work at SIUC and in the Carbondale community.

Hend’s research interests focus on tobacco prevention and the social determinants of health, especially access to care for rural and underserved communities. She is the lead author or co-author of two published research papers:

1. Preventing Underage Tobacco Access: A Cross-Sectional Study of Retailer Training in Southern Illinois; Manietta, L., Kumbalatara, C., Rhodes, J., Jadalla, H., & Jayawardene, W. (2025). Health Promotion Practice.
2. Addressing Socioeconomic and Infrastructural Disparities to Enhance Telehealth Access in Rural America: Barriers and Solutions; Jadalla, H. (2024). International Journal of Academic Engineering Research (IJAER), 8(2643–9085), 1–7.

Hend is deeply committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those around her. Her passion lies in keeping individuals and families healthy, socially connected, and well-informed about the resources available to support their well-being. Hend’s mission is clear: to uplift, connect, and educate those around her, especially within rural and student communities, through compassionate leadership and dedication to health equity.

CHWs Across the State

DuPage County NAACP

IPHA is excited to share stories of CHW education and employment partners across the state. IPHA has offered technical assistance to these organizations and training centers to support the expansion of the CHW workforce. This month we are highlighting subcontractor sites related to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Carolyn Adams Ticket for the Cure grant for breast cancer navigation among vulnerable individuals in DuPage County which IPHA is a recipient of. The first subcontracted site is the DuPage County NAACP.

Here is an example of their Champions Breast Cancer Awareness at Community Health Outreach activities.

The DuPage County NAACP, in collaboration with Endeavor Health, hosted a successful Community Health and Wellness Outreach event on March 22, 2025, at DuPage AME Church. There were over 50 community members brought together for a day of screening, education, and empowerment. The event focused on preventive care, health equity, and increasing access to breast cancer navigation resources. Temeka Booker, Community Health Worker with the NAACP, led an engaging session on breast cancer risks, prevention, and treatment navigation. Her presentation empowered attendees with vital knowledge on self-screenings and local healthcare services. Free blood pressure and diabetes screenings were given to attendees. Health surveys were collected for future programming. An important discussion was held on breast cancer in all genders. Early detection saves lives, especially in communities where disparities persist.

Key Outcomes:

• 20+ attendees received breast cancer screening and treatment center information
• High engagement and Q&A around self-exams and access to care
• Broadened awareness of breast cancer in men and teens
• Strong community partnerships formed with Endeavor Health and others
• Health surveys collected to shape future outreach

This outreach underscores the NAACP’s ongoing commitment to health equity in Black and Brown communities. Together, we’re making health equity a reality in DuPage County.

To learn more about DuPage County NAACP, you can visit their website.

DuPage Health Coalition

The DuPage Health Coalition (DHC) coordinates health access and comprehensive high quality healthcare for low income uninsured and underinsured residents of DuPage County, with a host of patient facing programs including Access DuPage (comprehensive coordinated health care for uninsured), Silver Access (ACA Premium Assistance), DuPage Dispensary of Hope (free pharmacy), Bilingual Health Education, Client Benefitting and Navigation, Medical Debt Relief, Everyday Hero (Bystander CPR/Narcan/AED), Dental Care Coordination, Access Fit (fitness and wellness services) and more.  DHC has a history of employing CHWs for Breast and Cervical Cancer Navigation, COVID-19 Pandemic Health Navigation, outreach to new arrivals, and more. DHC currently employs a CHW to perform community outreach and conduct breast health education. The CHW provides access and support services for women receiving breast cancer screenings and treatment and serves as an advocate and liaison for and on behalf of patients’ needs and health.

DHC believes that CHWs are an invaluable part of the community health workforce, and DHC works to embed CHWs impactfully in their teams and support the growth of CHWs in CBOs and community settings.  DHC has a unique role to play, sitting at the juncture between health and human services and able to navigate both. DHC is also passionate about supporting the equipping and training of the CHW workforce to be most effective in reducing health disparities and improving community health.

One of IPHA’s contracted CBOs is Access DuPage. In late March, IPHA Program Manager, Emily Inman, visited DHC to see their activities firsthand. Their CHWs have been busy educating the community on breast cancer prevention and navigating individuals across the breast cancer continuum. This includes anything from setting up Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP) appointments, to education on why a biopsy is needed, to assisting with linkage to oncology care. They have integrated their CHWs and breast cancer navigation into clinical teams across DuPage County, helping to alleviate the burdens of patients, caregivers, and health systems.

To learn more about the DuPage Health Coalition, you can visit their website.

Watch upcoming newsletters for more exciting news from the CHWs working in the breast cancer navigation field, where we take a deeper dive into the closed-loop referral process.

CHWs and Oral Health: Edgar County Public Health Department

“CHWs are the missing link in our facility in connecting staff, departments, and the community for a better understanding of oral health and its impact on the rest of the body.” – Tabitha Thomas, Director of Dental Operations; Lexanna Strader, Health Educator; Santanna Lawson, Dental Assistant

The Edgar County Public Health Department (ECPHD) is a non-profit organization that includes many departmental organizations utilized by multiple surrounding counties.  Our WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), FCM (Family Case Management), and Dental staff continually work together to promote and provide services to uninsured and underinsured clients in our community and surrounding counties. ECPHD has the potential to provide many services to the area’s clients, but with limited finances and certified staffing, it has been difficult for professional staffing to link departmental services to clients. The CHW program was implemented to help support the bridge between departments.

Two of their staff members completed the training for the CHW program with an emphasis on oral health. CHWs have designated a percentage of their time towards assisting WIC, FCM, and Dental staff in ensuring all WIC/FCM clients are aware of the additional services the ECPHD can provide. CHWs encourage the WIC/FCM clients and their families to schedule an appointment with the Dental Department. During the dental visit, the CHW, hygienists, and dentists will educate the patient and assist in getting all further dental treatment needed, either scheduled or referred. The CHW is also assigned to follow up with the dental patient until all treatment is completed or ECPHD can no longer be of assistance. Oral health is not solely a Dental Department focus. Our oral health is connected to the rest of our body, and departmental services should reflect that. CHWs are being educated in multiple departments to further educate not only the medical staff in the facility but patients as well. 

To learn more about the Edgar County Public Health Department and the services they offer, you can visit their website and follow them on Facebook at Edgar County Public Health Department & Dental Clinic.

If you would like to participate in the CHW 101 training with an oral health focus, please contact chwsupport@ipha.com with the subject: CHW 101 training with oral health focus, and we will follow up with you!

Have a safe month,

Tracey Smith, Associate Executive Director for Public Health Practice at IPHA, Director of the CHW Capacity Building Center

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We strive to keep CHWs, their employers, educators, and allies informed and connected. If you would like to contribute information for a future newsletter, please contact Mariah Menietti at mmenietti@ipha.com. We look forward to showcasing ways in which CHWs are making an impact in Illinois.