Community Health Worker Program Expands
Richard “Dick” Morin, a community health worker at MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals, speaks with a client while getting into “Sugar,” the Community Health department’s 2024 Chevrolet Trax. Quirk Chevrolet GMC of Rockland donated the car in December of 2024. The vehicle supports the Community Health team in the important work they do to expand access to care in underserved and rural areas.
Community Health Worker Program Expands
Richard “Dick” Morin, a community health worker at MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals, speaks with a client while getting into “Sugar,” the Community Health department’s 2024 Chevrolet Trax. Quirk Chevrolet GMC of Rockland donated the car in December of 2024. The vehicle supports the Community Health team in the important work they do to expand access to care in underserved and rural areas.
Improving support for youths, families and perinatal clients
In 2025, MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals further expanded their community health worker program, this time focusing on some of our communities’ most vulnerable populations.
Community health workers (or CHWs) are individuals whose lived experience—whether that be shared language or culture, personally facing housing insecurity or difficulty navigating the health care system—enables them to build connections in the community. These connections are then leveraged when helping clients achieve goals, from acquiring transportation to appointments, applying for SNAP benefits and more.
Since our local CHW program launched in 2023, hundreds of adult clients have met their goals with the help of a CHW. Starting in January 2026, the program will also extend a hand to youth, families and perinatal clients, a service not previously offered but needed locally.
“Our CHW program has really taken off in two years,” said Jemma Penberthy, director of Community Health Improvement at MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals. “The program continues to grow at a rapid pace and what we’re seeing is the amount of help that is needed in our communities, not just for adults but for youth and families, too. This expansion is a way to add support for even more vulnerable people in our communities.”
This new branch of the CHW program will be made up of four additional CHWs — bringing the entire program to 10 full-time care team members when fully staffed — with two in Knox County and two in Waldo County. One CHW in each county will work directly with the school districts. The other will work with youth and families to help them get the support they need in getting children into school, finding pediatricians, addressing health concerns and more.
“The new CHWs will work with existing school structures and support what’s already happening,” Penberthy said. “These CHWs will be able to meet families at their homes or in the community where schools aren’t seeing them. They will serve as a liaison between the hospitals and a person’s life.”
Another important aspect of these new CHWs will be the support they provide in connecting children and families with existing youth mental health services.
“There are a lot of youth mental health challenges in today’s world,” Penberthy said. “This is a great opportunity to introduce a CHW that works specifically with this population to be a bridge in helping a young person get the care they need.”
The program expansion will be molded as it progresses to best meet local need.
“There isn’t as much evidence out there for CHW programs that work with these populations, so we’re building a blueprint based on the available data but also blazing a new trail,” Penberthy said. “I think this will be a real boon for our communities. We are excited to work with our local experts and organizations to be another link in the chain of support.”
Community health education, support and resources
MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our community. We offer health education classes, screenings, events and outreach programs to help you stay well, learn about your health and manage your health conditions.