Mountain Empire Community College of Health Sciences

Community Health Worker Training Initiative

The Project

Mountain Empire Community College of Health Sciences will play a vital role in strengthening the regional community health workforce by developing an online Community Health Worker (CHW) training program. This program will be offered as an independent career studies certificate or a stackable credential within existing health care programs, ensuring flexible career pathways.

Work to be Conducted:

Develop a CHW Training Program, aligning with state certification standards.
Conduct a needs assessment with regional health care organizations to ensure program relevance.
Recruit diverse CHW trainees, prioritizing those with local cultural and health care knowledge.
Engage the community by hosting at least six health workshops or campus events annually.

Goals to be Achieved:

Launch the CHW program by Fall 2025 and enroll the first cohort.
Recruit and train CHW students
Strengthen K-12 engagement, introducing CHW career pathways to school administrators.
Increase community health impact by tracking event participation and satisfaction.

Healthy Appalachia Institute Next Steps:

As this program unfolds, we aim to better understand what impact developing and launching a Community Health Worker (CHW) training program in Southwest Virginia may have in strengthening the regional health workforce. By offering the program as an independent career studies certificate or a stackable credential within existing health care programs, it could potentially address the need for flexible career pathways.

We invite you to revisit this page as this project

is updated and as the evaluation

of the project continues

Evidence from Across Appalachia

Identifying Community Perspectives for a Lung Cancer Screening Campaign in Appalachia

This study utilized focus groups in Appalachian Kentucky to gather community input on developing a lung cancer screening campaign. Community Health Workers played a crucial role in recruiting participants and facilitating discussions, underscoring the importance of CHWs in community-engaged research and health promotion efforts.

Community Health and Mobilization Prevention Services (CHAMPS)

Research conducted in Appalachian Kentucky explored the use of telehealth to deliver diabetes self-management education (DSME). The study found that telehealth interventions effectively increased access to DSME, addressing the shortage of healthcare providers in the region and improving diabetes care.

Project Updates

May 2025 – July 2025

Advisory Board & Needs Assessment – This quarter, MECC faculty and program leaders continued to strengthen collaboration with regional healthcare organizations, including FQHCs and other partners across Virginia. These efforts not only promoted the value of the Community Health Worker (CHW) program but also created opportunities to engage directly with healthcare leadership on administrative and clinical levels. The program’s Advisory Board, which approved the CHW curriculum in April 2025, remains an important resource for ensuring the program is aligned with regional workforce needs and pathways for clinical training.

Curriculum Development – Faculty finalized course designs to align with Virginia’s seven core competencies for CHWs, ensuring the program will meet requirements for approval by the Virginia Certification Board. Each course was carefully mapped to demonstrate competency coverage, positioning MECC to offer a state-approved CHW certificate program when the first cohort begins in Fall 2025.

Training Site Development – Strong progress was made this quarter in securing internship placements for future CHW students. Agreements have been confirmed with the Virginia Department of Health, Stone Mountain Health Services, Ballad Health, and Mountain Empire Older Citizens, with Clinical Affiliation Agreements currently being finalized. These partnerships reflect a strategic focus on chronic health, population health, and substance use disorders. Discussions are also underway with Carilion Clinic and the Virginia Community Healthcare Association to expand placement opportunities for CHW students.

Community Engagement & Events – Although no community health workshops were held this quarter, the CHW program gained visibility through MECC’s participation in regional outreach. The Dental Assistant and Practical Nursing programs contributed to the Virginia Dental Association’s Mission of Mercy project and the M7 Move Mountains Medical Mission in July, offering a platform to promote the CHW program to participants and volunteers. Broader community engagement efforts included billboards across the region, local television interviews, and newspaper features. Looking ahead, the CHW program will launch in Fall 2025 with active participation in community events such as the Wise Fall Fling, Home Craft Days, and MECC’s Back-to-School Barbecue, where health screenings and community needs assessments may be conducted.

February 2025 – April 2025

Advisory Board & Needs Assessment – Established a Community Health Worker (CHW) Advisory Board composed of representatives from regional healthcare organizations, local health departments, FQHCs, and community service boards. The board also includes members from both the Virginia and Tennessee Community Health Worker State Associations. During its inaugural virtual meeting in April 2025, strong regional demand for trained CHWs was affirmed, and valuable input was provided on curriculum structure and certification alignment.

Curriculum Development – Informed by advisory board feedback, MECC finalized a CHW certificate curriculum that meets Virginia state certification standards. The curriculum is built around seven core competencies approved by the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Certification Board, ensuring relevance and rigor. The program remains on track for its official launch in Fall 2025, allowing sufficient time for strategic planning and implementation.

Training Site Development – Initial steps were taken to identify CHW student training placements through ongoing conversations with regional partners. Potential training sites include Lenowisco Health District, Ballad Health, Appalachia Regional Healthcare, Stone Mountain Health Services, and others. The advisory board approved an internship model that will rotate first-semester students through three core areas, Chronic Health, Population Health, and Substance Use Disorder, with second-semester internships tailored to individual student interests. Formal agreements with training sites are anticipated in the third quarter.

Community Engagement & Events – Plans are in motion to collaborate with other health science programs for events such as health screenings and educational workshops beginning in the third quarter. MECC also plans to participate in key community events in the fall, including Wise Fall Fling, Home Craft Days, and the MECC Back to School Barbecue, to promote the CHW program and provide community health services.

November 2024 – January 2025

Advisory Board & Needs Assessment – Identified key community partners for advisory board representation. The first meeting was scheduled for the second week of April, where members planned to develop a needs assessment to be implemented in the second quarter.

Curriculum Development – An initial CHW certificate curriculum was designed based on the seven core competencies approved by the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Certification Board. These competencies included:

Community health concepts
Service coordination & system navigation
Health promotion & prevention
Advocacy, outreach & engagement
Communication
Cultural humility & responsiveness
Ethical responsibilities & professionalism

Training Site Development – Community partners were engaged to identify potential training sites for CHW students. Discussions included partnerships with Lenowisco District Health Departments, Ballad Health, Health Wagon, Stone Mountain Health Services, and regional health insurance providers (Aetna/United Healthcare). Formal site agreements were set to be pursued in the second quarter.

Community Engagement & Events – No community health workshops or campus events were conducted in the first quarter as the CHW program has not officially launched.