Healthy Aging Specialty Track for CHWs

In Kim’s own words: Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to train and support CHWs, develop and facilitate curricula, and contribute to initiatives focused on strengthening the CHW workforce.

It has been an honor to bring that experience to my work with MCD as a curriculum reviewer, helping to ensure that this training is relevant, effective, equitable, and responsive to the needs and experiences of the CHWs who will participate in it. The goal throughout this review process has been to help ensure that the curriculum not only provides CHWs with valuable information, but also respects their expertise, lived experience, and essential role within the communities they serve.

About SUHI

Sinai Urban Health Institute (SUHI) has been a leader in the Community Health Worker (CHW) field for more than 25 years. Through the development of the Center for CHW Research Outcomes and Workforce Development (CROWD), SUHI has successfully trained, onboarded, and supported CHWs, CHW programs, and workforce initiatives, while also developing curricula designed to strengthen CHW professional development and sustainability.

Marilyn is a registered nurse, educator, and writer whose work focuses on strengthening the ability of organizations and professionals to communicate and work effectively across cultures. At CWI, she develops and facilitates training programs that support frontline professionals working in public health, behavioral health, education, and community-based services.

Marilyn grew up in Pakistan and has lived and worked in multiple regions of the world, including Pakistan, Egypt, the Kurdish Region of Iraq, and several states across the United States. These international experiences have shaped her understanding of how culture, language, and identity influence people’s interactions with health and human service systems.

She is the author of Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging and Worlds Apart: A Third Culture Kid’s Journey, works that explore cross-cultural identity and belonging. Her writing and training draw on these experiences to help professionals better understand the perspectives of immigrant and internationally mobile communities.

Marilyn also holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration, a graduate certificate in Health and Human Service Management from Suffolk University and is a certified cultural competency trainer and Mental Health First Aid instructor.

Marilyn gave birth to five children on three continents and loves her big, constantly expanding family. She loves her passport, her family, and her faith in reverse order. Her favorite activity is finding spaces in coffee shops around the world to write and observe life around her.

About Community Workforce Institute

Community Workforce Institute (CWI) is a national training and technical assistance organization that strengthens the capacity of community health workers (CHWs), supervisors, and multidisciplinary care teams through workforce development, curriculum design, and systems improvement. CWI partners with public health agencies, healthcare organizations, community-based organizations, and academic institutions across the United States to develop evidence-informed training that advances health equity and improves care for underserved communities.

In 2025, on behalf of IPHI, he led the development a HRSA-funded curriculum on Older Adult Health covering culturally responsive care, ageism, aging-related challenges, and palliative and hospice care. As former Director of Health Education and Access at Cambridge Health Alliance, he also oversaw programming for the City of Everett Council on Aging and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health-funded Senior Suicide Prevention Initiative.

About Community Workforce Institute

Community Workforce Institute (CWI) is a national training and technical assistance organization that strengthens the capacity of community health workers (CHWs), supervisors, and multidisciplinary care teams through workforce development, curriculum design, and systems improvement. CWI partners with public health agencies, healthcare organizations, community-based organizations, and academic institutions across the United States to develop evidence-informed training that advances health equity and improves care for underserved communities.

With nearly three decades of leadership experience in health care, mental health and child welfare, Dr. Dante has a track record of elevating quality, maintaining fiscal integrity, and engaging the community in services that lead to improved safety, health and well-being. She is a sought-after speaker, trainer and consultant, a certified family life educator, licensed mental health counselor, and a Florida-licensed qualified supervisor. 

Dr. Dante is an active member in several national organizations, including the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Association of Community Health Workers, the American Public Health Association, the American Society for Public Administration, and National Training and Technical Assistance Partners. She is also on the Policy Committee for the Florida Community Health Worker Association, an active member of the Florida Rural Health Association, and an active contributor to the American Public Health Association CHW Section. She also has been recognized by the Orlando Business Journal with the coveted “Women Who Mean Business” award. Dr. Dante holds a Doctor of Public Policy and Administration from Walden University and a Master of Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University.

About MHP Salud

Led by compassion, collaboration and a deep commitment to community, MHP Salud builds stronger, healthier neighborhoods through supportive Community Health Worker initiatives. With a legacy spanning more than 40 years, we embrace the strengths and experiences of individuals and families, engaging them to achieve health and well-being through access to health coverage and care, connections to local resources, digital safety, parenting education and more. Tapping into our on-the-ground experience, we also share best practices, practical toolkits and realistic job aids through nationwide training designed to help health professionals improve outcomes among vulnerable and underserved populations.