Introduction and Objectives: Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a key role in advancing health equity and chronic disease prevention, particularly in medically underserved communities. In Arizona, policies such as voluntary CHW certification and Medicaid reimbursement aim to support a sustainable CHW workforce. Funded by Health Resources & Services Administration, Arizona State University launched the CHW Training Program (ASU CHW-TP) in 2023 to recruit, train, and place CHWs statewide. This paper evaluates the program’s reach, effectiveness, and adoption and identifies support for CHW workforce sustainability.

Methods: Secondary analysis of administrative records, trainee tracking, and feedback surveys evaluated the ASU CHW-TP using Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM). Reach was assessed by number and characteristics of trainees; effectiveness by completion of curriculum and field placements; and adoption by the number of community partnerships and placement opportunities.

Results: A total of 710 applications were received after removing duplicates and incomplete submissions; 297 were eligible and 277 admitted. Participants represented diverse racial/ethnic groups: Black/African American (37%), Hispanic/Latino (32%), Non-Hispanic White (24%), AIAN (11%), and Asian (3%). Many trainees came from disadvantaged backgrounds (48% economically and 36% environmentally). Overall, 206 (74%) completed the curriculum and 40 (14%) dropped out. Eighty-one trainees (29%) completed field placements. The program established 57 partnerships (34%) out of 167 organizations approached. In total, 102 trainees (37%) completed both curriculum and placements and were eligible for CHW certification.

Conclusions: The ASU CHW-TP trained a diverse CHW cohort but faced barriers including competing demands, technical challenges, limited placements, and low compensation. Improving work conditions, leadership support, fair wages, and certification fee subsidies may strengthen CHW workforce sustainability in Arizona.