{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T05:53:51Z","timestamp":1791179631583,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791158400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Health Serv."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    <jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold>\n                    Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a vital role in bridging between healthcare systems and underserved communities. Although CHW certification has expanded across the United States, limited research has examined whether certification supports long-term career advancement and workforce development for CHWs themselves. This study examined how certified CHWs perceive the role of certification in shaping career trajectories and long-term workforce retention, with implications for CHW program design and public health workforce policy. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 30 certified CHWs recruited from a database maintained by the Central Maryland Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Interviews were conducted virtually via Zoom and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step reflexive thematic analysis framework. Five themes were identified: (1) CHW certification as a pathway to workforce development and career advancement; (2) CHW work as a calling rooted in service and advocacy; (3) CHWs as bridges between healthcare systems and communities; (4) barriers to certification and workforce integration; and (5) long-term commitment to public health and community impact. CHW certification serves a function beyond credentialing; it is a workforce development tool that supports career mobility, professional identity, and long-term engagement in public health. Addressing persistent barriers, including low wages, limited opportunities for advancement, and scope-of-practice confusion, is essential to sustaining a robust CHW workforce.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frhs.2026.1902919","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T05:32:11Z","timestamp":1791178331000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Community health worker certification as a pathway to workforce development and career advancement: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Uchenna Benedine","family":"Okafor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University","place":["Phoenix, AZ, United 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