Community Health Workers from Across the Nation Convene in Columbus to Deliberate Public Health’s Evolving Landscape at 2025 Unity Conference

Pear Suite to Lead Sessions on Strengthening CHW Partnerships, Streamlining Care, and Unlocking Reimbursement

Pear Suite:

WHO: The National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) will convene its 2025 Unity Conference, bringing together hundreds of Community Health Workers (CHWs) from across the country who all work to bridge healthcare divides and improve outcomes. These frontline public health professionals serve as trusted connectors to care, providing culturally competent, community-based social and health support to historically underserved populations, including low-income families, immigrants and refugees, communities of color, rural residents, individuals with chronic conditions, and people experiencing housing insecurity or behavioral health challenges. Health systems are increasingly recognizing the value of CHWs as essential partners in addressing social drivers of health and improving outcomes upstream.

Colby Takeda, NACHW board member, CHW, advocate, and co-founder/CEO of Pear Suite, will headline a key session on navigating the evolving landscape of Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement—and what it means for the future of social and community health care. Under Takeda’s leadership, Pear Suite is equipping CHWs nationwide with the tools, technology, and training needed to drive better health outcomes and secure reimbursement for services.

WHAT: As healthcare systems grapple with rising costs and persistent disparities, CHWs continue to play a critical role in driving community-level impact. Pear Suite is helping lead this transformation, powering the largest CHW provider network in the U.S. and partnering with over 20 managed care organizations to support more than 11 million Medicaid members across 30+ states. The company’s platform also equips thousands of CHWs and hundreds of community-based organizations with tools, technology, and training to expand their impact and access sustainable funding opportunities.

This year’s event will honor the theme “From Legacy to Leadership: Healing and Transforming Communities Together.” The 2025 Unity Conference will bring together CHWs and their allies like Pear Suite for a dynamic, equity-focused program featuring policy discussions, workforce development, research, and cross-sector collaboration. Attendees will be empowered through interactive workshops, certificate-eligible trainings, poster presentations, inspiring keynotes, and a celebratory gala honoring CHW leaders from across the country.

WHERE: The 2025 Unity Conference will take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Ohio is home to one of the nation’s largest concentrations of CHWs. More than 1,000 registered CHWs work across the state, representing a wide range of sectors and statewide networks.

WHEN: The conference will run July 30 – August 1. Pear Suite will present alongside CHW partners and other industry visionaries on the following sessions:

• “Beyond the Contract: How CBOs and CHWs Partner with Health Plans to Deliver Results” — July 31, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, featuring Pear Suite Community Engagement Manager Apryl Avila, Head of Partnerships Stefan Savicic, and RIS Foundation CEO Angelica Brightmon.
  
  This session explores how CHWs can partner with health plans and systems to address social determinants of health and support value-based care. Attendees will gain practical strategies for care coordination, data sharing, and client advocacy—backed by real-world examples of successful integration and impact.

• “Harnessing Hubs for Health: A CHW-Centered Approach to Care” — August 1^st, 10:30am-12pm, featuring Pear Suite head of operations Julia Garcia, Luminar Health founder Bianca De La Luz Paulette, and Everyday Life Consulting CEO Shannon Lijewski.
  
  This session shows how CHWs can use hub care models to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, streamline referrals, and improve client outcomes. Through insights from CBO leaders, attendees will learn how hubs work and how CHWs can lead and sustain these systems in practice.

• “Cracking the Code on Medicaid and Medicare Reimbursement for CHWs” — August 1^st, 1:30-2:45pm, featuring Pear Suite CEO Colby Takeda, strategic initiatives manager Andrew Linbloom, and Binational of California director of operations Nora Zaragoza- Yáñez.
  
  This hands-on workshop uses real-world case studies to demystify how CHWs can leverage Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement to strengthen program sustainability and impact. Participants will learn which tasks are billable, how to use simple tech tools for documentation, and how policy decisions shape workflows and growth.

About Pear Suite

Pear Suite is a digital health company that empowers community health workers to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). Through Pear Suite’s AI-powered social care navigation platform, health plans, providers, and community-based organizations can boost member engagement, improve health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care in a person-centered, culturally, and linguistically centered way. Pear Suite has supported hundreds of organizations and impacted more than 250,000 lives by driving improvements that are often overlooked in the healthcare landscape. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

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The 2025 Unity Conference will bring together CHWs and their allies like Pear Suite for a dynamic, equity-focused program featuring policy discussions, workforce development, research, and cross-sector collaboration.