In a piece written for the Inquirer's "The Public's Health" blog, Matthew O'Brien, assistant professor of medicine and public health at Temple, argued that it's time for the American health-care system to turn to a "largely untapped" workforce: community health workers. O'Brien, co-founder and medical director of Puentes de Salud in Philadelphia, wrote that lay people trained by medical and public health professionals can "help improve control of chronic diseases and promote preventive services" in their communities.