11/24/2025
Jenni Rodriguez, CHW, represents Weiser Memorial Hospital at American Public Health Association National Meeting
Jenni Rodriguez, the Community Health Worker (CHW) for Weiser Memorial Hospital (WMH) was recently asked to speak at the American Public Health Association (APHA) National Meeting in Washington, DC. She attended the 3-day event in early November with representatives from Idaho State University (ISU) to speak about her training and experience in public health.
“APHA is an organization dedicated to improving the nation’s health. The conference is about bringing in all the faces of public health from across the nation to teach, learn and share about public health,” Rodriguez explained. There were over 10,000 people in attendance at the conference this year. Rodriguez was approached by ISU to discuss the CHW workforce training and development in Idaho and her experience in training and working as a CHW for WMH.
Rodriguez was able to lead multiple roundtable discussions for CHW’s from all over the country. Many questions came her way regarding sustainability and the scope of practice for her work. After these discussions, Rodriguez commented, “I do have to say how grateful I am that WMH is able to sustain my position, it didn’t appear that is the case for many CHW’s across the nation. It is also interesting to learn how other CHW’s across the nation are solving problems to help patients overcome barriers in their healthcare.”
As the Community Health Worker for Weiser Memorial Hospital, Rodriguez assists the people of our area in accessing care, transportation to/from appointments, navigating insurance and payment methods, and finding resources to achieve better health outcomes.
“I am extremely proud that I was chosen to represent my community, WMH, ISU and ICHWA on a national level,” Rodriguez expressed after the conference. She shared that her time there was very valuable for her role. She also commented that getting to experience the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier while on Facetime with her son (who is a soldier) while she was in Washington DC was her most memorable experience.
Weiser Memorial Hospital recognizes the valuable contributions Rodriguez makes to the hospital, clinics, and the people of our area. It is a unique role, and she is clearly a leader in this field. WMH is very proud of the daily help she offers people locally and now influencing the strengthening and development of this beneficial career field nationally.
Weiser Memorial Hospital is a not-for-profit Critical Access Hospital located in Weiser, Idaho. WMH celebrates 75 years as a community hospital this year and serves Washington County and surrounding areas with integrity, compassion, and excellence. Services range from primary care to mental/behavioral health to orthopedic and general surgery and beyond. More information can be found at weisermemorialhospital.org.
