Jefferson is First Organization to Earn URAC's Community Health Worker Program Accreditation

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jefferson is the first organization to earn URAC's Community Health Worker (CHW) Program Accreditation. This accreditation is the nation's first formal program with standards specifically designed for organizations that employ and support community health workers across health care and community settings.

"At Jefferson, we believe community health workers are essential to advancing equitable care," said Christine James, PhD, LSW, Director of the Community Health Worker Academy. "Becoming the first organization in the country to earn URAC's accreditation validates the strength of our program infrastructure and reinforces our commitment to investing in the workforce systems that allow CHWs to thrive and deliver measurable impact to our communities."

Since its inception in 2023, Jefferson's Community Health Worker Program has expanded from fewer than a dozen CHWs to nearly 40 individuals embedded across hospital and community settings. They provide home visits, post-discharge follow-up, chronic disease coaching and connections to critical social services. The program has reduced emergency department use and readmissions, significantly improved patients' blood pressure control and increased primary care engagement.

Jefferson's Community Health Worker Academy recruits directly from the communities it serves. The Academy is a paid training program and places graduates into full-time roles with benefits, advancing culturally responsive care and workforce diversity.

"As an anchor institution, Jefferson is committed to building stronger communities through access to healthcare, health insurance and educational opportunities," said Keith Leaphart, D.O., EVP, Humana Chief Health Equity Community Impact Officer at Jefferson.  "Jefferson's CHW program helps remove barriers to education and workforce development, providing participants with a more stable and vibrant future."

To mark this milestone, Dr. Shawn Griffin, President and CEO of URAC, will formally present the accreditation to Jefferson leadership and program participants at a special on-site event today.

"Community health workers play a vital role in bridging gaps in care and addressing social drivers of health," said Dr. Griffin "Jefferson's achievement sets a national benchmark for how organizations can build strong, well-supported CHW programs that improve outcomes and strengthen community trust."

URAC's accreditation establishes a consistent, evidence-informed framework, focusing on organizational accountability and workforce support. Standards address leadership engagement, defined reporting structures, equitable compensation frameworks and career development. Programs must also demonstrate how they integrate CHWs into clinical and community workflows, coordinate across care teams and measure CHWs' contributions.

The accreditation process strengthened how Jefferson supports CHWs day-to-day, introducing concepts such as a peer mentorship program and a formal measurement process to help communicate the impact of the work for internal and external stakeholders.

James expanded on the value of the accreditation, "CHWs meet people where they are, often beyond the hospital walls, and help connect them back to care and to the social supports that make treatment stick. This accreditation gave us an objective way to validate our outcomes while strengthening how we support CHWs as professionals, including clearer supervision and reporting and a stronger focus on well-being. One participant told us it was the first job she'd had where an employer genuinely cared about her mental health."

For more information on URAC's Community Health Worker Program Accreditation, visit https://www.urac.org/accreditation-cert/community-health-worker-program/.

About URAC

URAC is an independent, nonprofit organization with over 35 years dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, measurement and education. As a trusted leader in the industry, URAC works with health care organizations to improve access, efficiency and patient care outcomes.

About Jefferson 

Jefferson is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. More than 65,000 people strong, Jefferson is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering & Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 33 hospital campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans, through Health Partners Plans, Inc., is a not-for-profit managed health care organization offering a broad range of health coverage options to more than 370,000 members for more than 40 years. 

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SOURCE URAC