--- title: "Community health wker training and certif progrms in U.S. | Sutter Health" description: "Study findings present opportunities for comm health wker knowledge and skill improvement approaches that can be targeted as ind, agency, or community goals." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Community health wker training and certif progrms in U.S. # Community health worker training and certification programs in the United States: findings from a national survey. Kash BA, May ML, & Tai-Seale M. _Health Policy. 80(1):32-42. Epub 2006 Mar 29._ 2007-01-01 ## Abstract OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends and various approaches to professional development in selected community health worker (CHW) training and certification programs in the United States. We examined the expected outcomes and goals of different training and certification programs related to individual CHWs as well as the community they serve. METHOD: A national survey of CHW training and certification programs. Data collection was performed through personal interviews, phone interviews and focus groups. Data sources included public health officials, healthcare associations, CHW networks, community colleges, and service providers. Initial screening interviews resulted in in-depth interviews with participants in 19 states. We applied human capital theory concepts to the analysis of the rich qualitative data collected in each state. RESULTS: CHW programs in the U.S. seem to have been initiated mainly due to lack of access to healthcare services in culturally, economically, and geographically isolated communities. Three trends in CHW workforce development were identified from the results of the national survey: (1) schooling at the community college level - provides career advancement opportunities; (2) on-the-job training - improves standards of care, CHW income, and retention; and (3) certification at the state level - recognizes the work of CHWs, and facilitates Medicaid reimbursement for CHW services. CONCLUSION: Study findings present opportunities for CHW knowledge and skill improvement approaches that can be targeted at specific individual career, service agency, or community level goals. Trained and/or certified community health workers are a potential new and skilled healthcare workforce that could help improve healthcare access and utilization among underserved populations in the United States. [PubMed abstract](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16569457) ## Research topics - [Health Disparities](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Disparities%5C%22%22) - [Health Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Services%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Factors associated with accuracy of self-assessment compared with tested non-English language proficiency among primary care providers.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/mds-non-english-lang-proficiency-self-vs-tested-assessmt-1055312513) Diamond L, Toro Bejarano M, Chung S, Ferguson W, Gonzalez J, Genoff Garzon M, Mujawar I, Gany F. Med Care. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001105. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2019 Mar 05 - Publication ### [R-E-S-P-E-C-T--what it means to patients.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-what-it-means-to-patients-1055312647) Frosch DL, Tai-Seale M. J Gen Intern Med. 29(3):427-8. doi: 10.1007/s11606-013-2710-z. 2014 Mar 01 - Publication ### [Measuring health equity for ambulatory care sensitive conditions in a large integrated health care system: the development of an index.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/measure-health-equity-in-primary-care-1055312457) Pressman A, Lockhart S, Petersen J, Robinson S, Moreno M, Azar KMJ. Health Equity. 3(1):92-98. doi: 10.1089/heq.2018.0092. eCollection 2019. 2019 Apr 03 - Publication ### [Clocks moving at different speeds: cultural variation in the satisfaction with wait time for outpatient care.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/cultural-variation-satisfaction-outpt-wait-time-1055312330) Chung S, Johns N, Zhao B, Romanelli R, Pu J, Palaniappan LP, Luft H. Med Care. 2015 Dec 17. \[Epub ahead of print\] 2015 Dec 17 - Publication ### [The 1994-1995 National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS-D): a bibliography of 20 years of research.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/national-health-interview-survey-on-disability-1055312487) Ward BW, Ridolfo H, Creamer L, Gray C. Rev Disabil Stud. 11(2):1-22. 2015 Apr 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Community health wker training and certif progrms in U.S."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Community health worker training and certification programs in the United States: findings from a national survey.","headline":"Community health wker training and certif progrms in U.S.","abstract":"OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends and various approaches to professional development in selected community health worker (CHW) training and certification programs in the United States. We examined the expected outcomes and goals of different training and certification programs related to individual CHWs as well as the community they serve. METHOD: A national survey of CHW training and certification programs. Data collection was performed through personal interviews, phone interviews and focus groups. Data sources included public health officials, healthcare associations, CHW networks, community colleges, and service providers. Initial screening interviews resulted in in-depth interviews with participants in 19 states. We applied human capital theory concepts to the analysis of the rich qualitative data collected in each state. RESULTS: CHW programs in the U.S. seem to have been initiated mainly due to lack of access to healthcare services in culturally, economically, and geographically isolated communities. Three trends in CHW workforce development were identified from the results of the national survey: (1) schooling at the community college level - provides career advancement opportunities; (2) on-the-job training - improves standards of care, CHW income, and retention; and (3) certification at the state level - recognizes the work of CHWs, and facilitates Medicaid reimbursement for CHW services. CONCLUSION: Study findings present opportunities for CHW knowledge and skill improvement approaches that can be targeted at specific individual career, service agency, or community level goals. Trained and/or certified community health workers are a potential new and skilled healthcare workforce that could help improve healthcare access and utilization among underserved populations in the United States.","description":"Study findings present opportunities for comm health wker knowledge and skill improvement approaches that can be targeted as ind, agency, or community goals.","keywords":["Health Disparities","Health Services"],"datePublished":"2007-01-01","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544","inLanguage":"en-US","identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"PMID","value":"16569457"}],"sameAs":["https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16569457/"],"isPartOf":{"@type":"Periodical","name":"Health Policy"},"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kash BA"},{"@type":"Person","name":"May ML"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Tai-Seale M"}],"sourceOrganization":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute"},"about":[{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Health Disparities","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Health+Disparities%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Health Services","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Health+Services%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/comm-health-wker-training-certif-progrms-us-1055312544#breadcrumblist"}}} ```