Special Report from the CDC: Readiness to surge: State health departments’ workforce infrastructure during the opioid crisis

Abstract

Introduction: As part of scaling up the response to the opioid overdose epidemic, there is an opportunity to examine how state public health departments addressed workforce and other infrastructure needs to implement a large-scale opioid overdose prevention program. Understanding how this was done—and any lessons learned from the process—can inform future workforce development and capital improvement efforts. Methods: Administrative data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention for States (PfS) program were analyzed to understand how states adapted to this emerging public health priority. Results: Six months into the first year of funding, 6 of the 16 state health departments had filled all anticipated staffing positions. States faced challenges obtaining timely expenditure authority and hiring staff. However, states were able to overcome these challenges by strategically reassigning staff, hiring from within, and utilizing existing contract mechanisms. Conclusion: Our analysis revealed how planning, using existing infrastructure, and maintaining a prepared workforce are critical to ensure that public health agencies have the ability to surge to meet emerging challenges and effectively utilize resources to achieve program goals. practical applications: Greater attention should be directed toward strategically addressing known barriers and timelines in work plans and budgets during the application and selection process to ensure implementation readiness.