October 21, 2026

By Renee Wagoner

The Latino Health Collective (LHC) hosted its fourth annual retreat in Drexel University’s Creese Student Center on October 16, 2026.

This year’s theme, “Community Health Workers: Building Trust and Expanding Access,” highlighted the important role that community health workers (CHWs) play in connecting communities with health services and resources.

CHWs often serve as trusted links between health care systems and the communities they serve, helping people access care, navigate services, and overcome barriers to health. Despite the important role they play, funding and sustaining CHW programs can be challenging, and their services are not always reimbursed by insurance.

Organizers of the event included LHC founder and co-director, Ana Martinez-Donate, PhD, professor of community health and prevention and associate dean for public health practice and external relations at the Dornsife School of Public Health (DSPH), Mariana Lazo, MD, PhD, LHC co-director and research professor of community health and prevention at DSPH, Emily Kephart, MSW, LHC coordinator, and David Heayn-Menendez, LHC Community Advisory Council member and senior advisor for communications, Children First.

The LHC is a collaborative network of Philadelphia city officials, policymakers, public health professionals, medical providers, community leaders, and representatives from Latino-serving organizations across the Philadelphia region.

The retreat brought together community health workers, organizational leaders, and other public health professionals to explore how the CHW model can increase access, reduce stigma, and improve health in communities. Over 120 professionals and community members registered for this event. 

The day began with opening remarks from Amy Carroll-Scott, PhD, MPH, chair of the Department of Community Health and Prevention at Drexel Dornsife, who told attendees that she was “proud of the impact that the Latino Health Collective continues to have in Philadelphia and at Drexel.”

Martinez-Donate then shared background on the Latino Health Collective and presented preliminary findings from a community survey recently conducted by her research lab.

The first panel focused on organizational leadership and the role of community health workers, also known as “Promotoras de salud” in Spanish and among Latino communities.

Panelists included Mariana Argüelles, Health and Wellness Director, Puentes de Salud; Jovan Bennett, Senior Director, Penn Center for Community Health Workers; Mariana Lazo in her role as co-director of the CRiSOL Mente Program; Maryann Salib, Associate Medical Director of Community Health and Wellness, Population Health and Clinical Quality Assurance, Esperanza Health Center; and Natalie Santiago-Hayes, Care Integration Program Manager, Jefferson Health.

Argüelles told the audience, “If we truly value community-centered healthcare then we need to invest in the people who make that possible.”

A second panel centered the perspectives and experiences of community health workers themselves. Panelists included Darlene Burton, Population Health Navigator at Esperanza Health Center; Cheryl Garfield, Lead CHW, Penn Center for Community Health Workers; Nancy Porroa, CHW, Jefferson CHW Programs; Sulay Sosa, Promotora de Salud, CRISOL Mente; and Irma Zamora, Promotora de Salud, Puentes de Salud.

Garfield shared that her interest in serving communities began as a teenager, when she worked alongside her grandfather on food drives, clothing drives, and other community events.

Following the panels, attendees participated in a working lunch and facilitated discussion about ways to expand the use of community health worker models.

“We’re here to tap into each other’s experiences, expertise, and interests and to highlight the contributions of community health workers to reduce health disparities and bridge gaps in services,” said Martinez-Donate.

Lazo concluded the retreat with closing remarks, followed by a networking happy hour and resource fair.

The organizers also recognized COMPA: Philly Language Justice Cooperative, who provided seamless English/Spanish language interpretation throughout the event via headsets for attendees.

Learn more about how to get involved with the Latino Health Collective

Above: Mariana Lazo moderates the panel "Community Health Workers: Perspectives & Experiences."