Examining the career progression and aspirations of Certified CHWs in Baltimore, Maryland

Background Certified Community health workers often encounter limited opportunities for career progression, prompting a desire for greater recognition, career development, and educational pathways to advance into higher-level health positions. Investing in the development of the CHW workforce can lead to better retention of manpower in the health sector and help reduce the health workforce gap that is growing and likely to become worse in coming years. We examine career progression and aspirations of certified CHWs in Baltimore, Maryland. Methods A mixed-method study design was used and CHWs were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire (n = 30). Participants were CHWs serving in Baltimore, Maryland, USA and each had been trained at the same center and certified in the state. The interviews were conducted virtually and taped, then transcribed and reviewed by 2 authors to extract information on the CHWs and univariate analysis was conducted. The interview guide has been provided as supplemental material to this paper. Results The participants reported that the CHW training they underwent facilitated their certification and helped them secure employment. There were no hindrances or delays in obtaining their certification and finding jobs. Additionally, CHWs demonstrated initiative by pursuing further education, which represented a significant life-changing event aimed at enhancing their life course outcomes. Age was not associated with being employed and with education level, although the mean age was higher at each level up in education. Age was also not associated with salary and salary was not associated with education level. A larger sample size would be needed to tease out the factors associated with having successful CHW careers in the health sector. Conclusions Our research shows that Community Health Workers (CHWs) improved their socioeconomic standing by continuing their education after certification. Most want to continue to pursue careers in public health and social work. Prioritizing the use of existing personnel and offering them additional training and educational opportunities is a key strategy in addressing healthcare workforce shortages