Kern Health Systems (KHS) offers the Community Health Worker (CHW) services benefit for eligible Kern Family Health Care (KFHC) Members. CHW services are preventive health services. CHW will support members to help prevent diseases, disability, and other health conditions or their progression; to prolong life; and to promote physical and mental health. The goal of the service is to enhance quality patient care by offering support to members to address barriers in accessing care, increasing level of engagement, improving health outcomes, reducing health disparities, and achieving health equity.
All CHWs will need to be approved by KHS. CHWs must have lived experience that aligns with Member or population being served. CHWs must demonstrate qualifications through the Certificate Pathway and must provide proof of completion. A CHW who does not have a certificate of completion and has at least 2,000 hours working as a CHW in paid or volunteer positions within the previous three, will have the ability to earn a certificate of completion, as described above, within 18 months of the first CHW visit provided to a member.
Bakersfield College is offering a CHW Certificate Program Pathway. For more information on registration please contact:
Charles Daramola, EdD, MBA, CHES
Professor and Program Director, Public Health Science
Please complete and submit the CHW Application/Check List and the CHW Supervisor Attestation Form to KHS Provider Network Management Credentialing Department for review and approval.
For Asthma Preventive Services Providers (APS), please utilize this application: