Health Net’s Chief Health Equity Officer Awarded Prestigious Corazón Award for Support of Promotora Movement

Date: 12/14/23

Dr. Pooja Mittal, Chief Health Equity Officer at Health Net, was recently presented with the Corazón Award at the Visión y Compromiso 2023 conference. The Corazón Award is given to individuals who have exhibited an extraordinary passion for the promotor movement and have gone above and beyond to advance the role of promotoras.

Dr. Mittal's dedication, perseverance and commitment to realize "una vida digna y sana" for the Hispanic community has exceeded all expectations. The work by her and her team at Health Net has been critical to the success of Visión y Compromiso.

Dr. Mittal's recognition highlights the importance of promoting health equity and access to quality healthcare for underrepresented communities. The Promotor model, which uses community health workers or "promotoras," to bridge the gap between healthcare providers and individuals in their own communities, has been instrumental in addressing healthcare disparities.

Health Net is a strong supporter for promotoras. Recently, we partnered with HealthBegins to design and launch a statewide Community Health Worker, Promotora, and Community Health Representative (CHW/P/R) Employer Survey to increase our understanding of the CHW/P/R workforce in California. The survey aimed to inform and support health plans, providers, advocates and policymakers.

The survey findings (PDF) reveal the full scope and scale of CHW/P/R work across the state and illuminate the magnitude of these workers' untapped potential. This new data can help plans and providers across California and beyond understand the value of this workforce and prepare to expand its impact.

To learn more about Health Net and our work to increase health equity for the people we serve, visit BridgingTheDivideCA.com.