The benefits of community health workers have primary been recognized in connection with the needs of poor, underserved, minority, and high-risk populations. There are several important barriers that have contributed to the relative lack of use of such workers by the health care delivery system as a whole. First among these barriers is the lack of a standard definition and conceptualization of who community health workers are and what they do. Although a single definition may not adequately capture the diversity among community health worker programs, consensus on a working definition is needed. workers' varied scope of practice and level of training, as well as concerns about the quality of care they provide, must also be addressed.