Marlen Ramirez | CHW/CHWI, Programs Coordinator
Vaccinate Your Family

Marlen Ramirez serves as Vaccinate Your Family’s Program Coordinator supporting VYF’s advocacy and education work. Marlen is an experienced Community Health Worker (CHW) and Community Health Worker Instructor (CHWI). She is a passionate advocate for health promotion and health equity, evidenced by her work with CHWs and the development of community health programs in border cities along southwest Texas. As a CHW, Marlen has served as a navigator, connecting individuals to public health resources and helping them make informed medical decisions. As a CHWI, she has significantly improved health education in the communities she serves. Through her work, Marlen aims to improve the health and well-being of children and families, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. In 2016, she launched Better Futures Forever, a certified training center for CHWs, providing training for certification and continuing education hours.  Marlen’s work has been recognized at the local, state, and national level, by being awarded the David C Wiley Award from the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in 2018 and the 2023 Outstanding Former Young Parent Award by Health Teen Network. In addition to her CHW and CHWI certifications, Marlen holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Sul Ross State University.