Labor analysts predict an 11% increase in jobs for community health workers by 2034 to meet demand, and North Dakota is trying to garner interest by rolling out a new certification for the occupation.

Community health workers are often found helping people in underserved areas. They are a bridge between patients and health care systems, performing screenings, coordinating care and offering health education at public events. North Dakota’s Health and Human Services Department is now accepting applications to secure a credential.

Tim Wiedrich, director of health response and licensure for the department, said the importance of the frontline workers should be viewed in the same light as other health professionals.

“The certification process is not a requirement, per se,” Wiedrich noted. “But it is something that an individual who’s doing this work or is interested in doing this work can obtain recognition as having achieved a minimum level of standard.”

The department said it also creates more opportunities for the state’s Medicaid program to cover care workers provide to enrollees. There are four pathways for applications. One is focused on internships; another is for those helping Indigenous populations through the Indian Health Service. The other two cover those with supervisory experience and reciprocity for applicants who are certified in another state.

At a time when misinformation clouds the public’s trust in health care workers, Wiedrich stressed the new credential can be a positive.

“By having people that are recognized within the community that they’re serving, being able to have confidence that this person has some credentials to show that they really do understand the health care systems, wellness training, those types of things, really does help people individually as they’re maneuvering these systems,” Wiedrich added.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said North Dakota currently has roughly 220 community health workers. It lists Bismarck as one of the top-paying metro areas for this specific job, at around $68,000 a year.