Wandy D Hernandez, BA, Community-Based Doula, CLC, CCE(ACBE), CHW has her degree in Human Service Management and has been involved with community health workers since she was a child growing up as a consumer of the services, as a community health worker in the field now for more than 30 years, and as a bilingual and bicultural active speaker and advocate for community health workers local, statewide and nationally. Wandy is a Certified Lactation Counselor, DONA Certified Birth Doula Trainer and Certified Childbirth Educator. Wandy served as President of the National Lay Health Workers/Promotores Network from 2005-2007, and from 2012-2014, served as the Chair of the American Public Health Association’s CHW Section. Wandy served as an active member of the Illinois Statewide Community Health Workers Advisory Board and in 2015 served as an advisory board member of The Illinois AHEC Network and of the South Suburban College Community Health Workers Technology Advisory Committee. Wandy is a co-founder and vice president of the Chicago Community Health Workers Local Network formally known as The Illinois Community Health Workers Association, (ILCHWA) and is a co-author on a peer-reviewed article titled “The Journal of Ambulator Care Management Community Health Workers Part 1” published in 2015. An editor titled “Promoting the Health of the Community: Community Health Workers Describing Their Roles, Competencies, and Practice” 1st ed. Published in 2021.
Currently Wandy has finished her president term from 2018-2023 and continues as the Founding Board of the National Association of Community Health Workers, (NACHW), where she brings vision and values to the table in support of unity within CHW workforce.
When she’s not working, you might find her at a wine tasting event, socializing with family and friends, either doing some type of physical sport or sky diving.