HPAC Scholar's Day 2019 CHW_Assessment_Key_Findings | Page 18

related to nursing care. The registered nurse
supervising a certified CHW shall provide the
supervision in accordance with the rules for
delegation adopted under this chapter and
the rules for supervision of CHWs adopted
under section 4723.88 of the ORC, including
the rules limiting the number of certified
CHWs who may be supervised at any one
time.”
ORC Section 4723.82(B)(1) additionally states
that “(h)olding a community health worker
certificate does not authorize an individual to
administer medications or perform any other
activity that requires judgment based on
nursing knowledge or expertise.”
Beginning in February 2005, the Board
adopted administrative rules in OAC Chapter
4723-26 to govern CHW certification and
practice pursuant to that certificate. OAC
Chapter 4723-26 sets forth standards for
the delegation and supervision of nursing
tasks performed by a certified CHW at
the delegation of a registered nurse. OAC
Rule 4723-26-07 prohibits the delegation
of the administration of medications to a
certified CHW; prohibits a certified CHW
from delegating a nursing task to any other
person; and if a certified CHW performs a
nursing task and does not comply with all
the applicable provisions of OAC 4723-26,
the certified CHW will be engaging in the
unauthorized practice of nursing which is
further prohibited by ORC Section 4723.03.
Employing a certified CHW to engage in the
unauthorized practice of nursing is also
prohibited by ORC Section 4723.03.
OAC 4723-26-09(A) requires a registered
nurse to supervise the certified CHW when
delegating a nursing task. Supervision
“includes initial and ongoing direction,
procedural guidance, and observation and
evaluation.” OAC 4723-26-09(B) requires
that the registered nurse be “continually
accessible to the community health
worker in person” or “by some form of
telecommunication” when supervising a
delegated nursing task.
Findings from secondary data collection of
the current 14 OBN approved CHW training
programs in Ohio reveal that in addition
to the competencies mandated by the
OBN, CHWs receive training on a variety of
community and public health topics with
an emphasis on chronic disease. Of the 14
programs approved by OBN, only seven are
confirmed to be in operation. Programs that
are not in operation (both OBN approved
and non-OBN approved programs) cited
loss of funding, inability to demonstrate
employability in the region, and lack of
staffing as reasons for not currently operating
CHW training.
Preliminary CHW Employment
Information from Secondary Data
Next, this secondary data collection
attempted to understand preliminary
employment information for CHWs. This
assessment found that all current Ohio
Community Health Workers Association
(OCHWA) members (43 individuals) are
employed across four regions of Ohio at
various organizations. Furthermore, historical
records from both GRC and the 2016 Ohio
CHW Conference reveal a number of different
employers of CHWs across primary care
practices, FQHCs, healthcare systems,
Medicaid managed care organizations,
Pathways HUBs, local health departments,
and social service organizations. Additionally,
job board searches revealed 42 job postings
in Ohio with “Community Health Worker” in
the job title or job description from February
to March 2018. This information was used as
a starting point to find employers and CHWs
for further assessment of CHW utilization
Secondary Data Collection
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