Current through Register 1518, March 29, 2024
A Continuing Education activity may be used to satisfy the
Continuing Education requirements set forth in
105
CMR 803.300 only if it contributes directly
to the professional competence of a Certified Health Officer and meets all of
the applicable standards set forth in
105
CMR 803.310.
(1)
Amount of Credit
Earned.
(a) 50 consecutive clock
minutes is equivalent to one Contact Hour.
(b) A Certified Health Officer is required to
complete a total of 12 Contact Hours for each calendar year.
(2)
Provider
Standards.
(a) Learner
Objectives shall be written and be the basis for determining content, learning
experience, teaching methodologies, and Evaluation.
(b) Subject matter description shall include
learner Objectives, content, time allotment, teaching methods, faculty, and
Evaluation format.
(c) Learning
experiences and teaching methods should be appropriate to achieve the
Objectives of the Program.
(d)
Principles of adult education should be used in the design of the
Program.
(e) Time allotted for each
activity should be sufficient for the learner to meet the Objectives of the
Program.
(f) Facilities and
educational resources should be adequate to implement the Programs.
(g) Faculty should possess knowledge of the
principles of adult education and should provide documentation to the
Provider/learner illustrating competency in the content of the planned learning
experience.
(3)
Evaluation. Provision must be made for evaluating the
participant's attainment of the stated learner Objectives or outcomes.
Participants must be given the opportunity to evaluate faculty, learning
experiences, instructional methods, facilities, and educational resources used
for the Programs.
(4)
Records. Records of completed Programs shall be kept
by the Provider for a period of four years. Records should include content,
Objectives, outline of offering, faculty qualifications, teaching methods and
materials, Evaluation tools and data, and a list of participants.
(5)
Subject Matter.
(a) Appropriate subject matter for Continuing
Education purposes shall include, but shall not be limited to, one or more of
the following:
1. Public health management,
administration, and leadership;
2.
Social, economic, political, or legal aspects of public health;
3. Public health science and
practice;
4. Public health
education;
5. Research in public
health;
6. Public health and
consumer education;
7. Health and
racial equity;
8. Emergency
preparedness;
9. Community health
and disease prevention;
10. Subject
matter which improves competency and is not specified on this list.
(b) Effective January 1, 2023, a
minimum of six Contact Hours of each certification period shall pertain to
subject matters in public health administration, management, or
leadership.
(6)
Methods of Obtaining Contact Hours. Continuing
Education Contact Hours shall be obtained as follows:
(a) By attending workshops, lectures, and
seminars in accordance with
105
CMR 803.300 and
105
CMR 803.310; or
(b) By completing an academic course within
the framework of a curriculum that leads to an academic degree in public health
or any course within that curriculum necessary to an individual's professional
growth and development as a Certified Health Officer; or
(c) By completing a self-study or
correspondence course. The course should:
1.
be developed by a professional group such as an educational corporation or
professional association;
2. follow
logical sequence;
3. involve the
learner by requiring active response to module materials and providing
feedback;
4. contain a test to
indicate progress and verify completion of module; and
5. supply a bibliography for continued study;
or
(d) By teaching a
particular academic course, seminar series, or workshop in the field of public
health for the first time; or
(e)
By delivering a paper or lecture in the field of public health; or
(f) By publishing an article in a
peer-reviewed professional or scientific journal or a book in the field of
public health.
(7) As
provided in
105
CMR 803.310(6), first time
teaching of an academic course, seminar series, workshop, or publishing of a
book may be considered for up to nine Contact Hours; a published article may be
considered the equivalent of up to five Contact Hours; and a lecture or paper
may be considered the equivalent of up to three Contact Hours.
(8) Employee orientation or in-service
training presentations concerning standard operating procedures specific to the
employing agency or entity shall not be accepted for Continuing Education
purposes.
