Training Students to Close Healthcare Gaps

"After the death of her child, Sharee Wilburn Grimes leaned on her mother to help her through her grief. As an angel mom-a term used by mothers mourning the loss of a child-Grimes said having someone to guide her through healing made the journey toward acceptance far less difficult."

"“As a community health worker, being closest to the problem means that I'm closest to the solution to help our angel moms, or whatever that health disparity looks like, navigate through and just be their voice and advocate,” Grimes said. “When you have someone who's helping you navigate through the same systems and barriers that you're faced with, it's just that much easier.”"

"Stanislaus State's Stockton Campus is part of a broader push in higher education to offer short-term workforce training tied to regional needs in public and community health. Launched in June 2024 and supported by a grant from the Health Plan of San Joaquin, the 80-hour program has expanded across the Northern San Joaquin Valley. To date, nearly 200 students across seven cohorts have completed the training."

"The hybrid program includes paid stipends and trains nonlicensed public health workers to help community members access health services, manage chronic conditions and receive preventive care. Black maternal health: Grimes, who now works as an instructor, said being a member of the community has helped her build trust with people who are skeptical of or underinformed about the care the"

After losing her child, Sharee Wilburn Grimes relied on her mother for support and described the healing process as easier with someone who could guide her. She later completed California State University, Stanislaus’s Community Health Worker program, designed to prepare learners for immediate employment as frontline public health workers serving rural and underserved communities. After finishing the program, she began helping Black mothers in South Stockton overcome maternal health barriers and disparities similar to those she faced. As a community health worker, she focuses on advocacy and navigation through health systems. The 80-hour hybrid program launched in June 2024, includes paid stipends, and trains nonlicensed public health workers to connect people to services, manage chronic conditions, and receive preventive care.

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