Current Public Health Workforce Research Articles

Minnesota Public Health Corps: A New Model For Building The Governmental Public Health Workforce.

Governmental public health agencies in the US are understaffed, and ongoing shortages will have a detrimental effect on their ability to provide basic public health services and protections. Public Health AmeriCorps was established in 2022 to support efforts to create a stronger and more diverse public health workforce nationwide. The Minnesota Public Health Corps, one of the largest Public Health AmeriCorps models, is a capacity-building program that places AmeriCorps members directly into governmental public health settings across the state. We used data from the first year of the Minnesota Public Health Corps (2022-23) to describe the experiences of thirty-five sites participating in the program. We also examined preliminary findings about how it shaped AmeriCorps members' skills and prospects related to career development in public health. Corps members were younger and more diverse than the current public health workforce in Minnesota, and the majority said that they intended to pursue a public health career. Host sites reported improved capacity to deliver public health services and indicated that corps members helped them reach new populations. Our evaluation demonstrates that this statewide program may be a scalable model to address parts of the acute capacity gaps at public health agencies, as well as long-term efforts to revitalize the workforce.

Quō vādis? from disaster management to building community resiliency: Medical reserve corps and their unique potential

BackgroundMedical Reserve Corps (MRC) in the U.S. provide an approach to organize and incorporate trained public health and medical professionals and supplement the current public health workforce. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MRCs provided immunizations, educated the general public, and assisted with community screening and testing. Reports of MRC activities are publicly available; however, their challenges are not well discussed. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to identify some challenges that MRC units faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsThis cross-sectional pilot study aimed to address the composition, recruitment, and training of MRC volunteers and their responses during the pandemic. The survey consisted of 18 close-ended questions across 3 domains: (1) structure and designation of the MRC unit, (2) recruitment and training opportunities for volunteers; (3) demographics; and 2 open-ended questions. ResultsA total of 568 units across 23 states were invited to participate in this exploratory study with only 29 units completing the survey. Out of 29 respondents, 72% were female and 28% male, 45% were nurses, 10% were physicians, and 5% were pharmacists. Retired members were reported in 58% of MRC units, while 62% reported members being active professionals. Qualitative analysis revealed two themes - Obstacles faced by MRC units and Interdisciplinary Composition. ConclusionsIn this exploratory pilot study, we identified the challenges of MRC units during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings indicated variation in composition and type of volunteers at different MRC units that may be considered in planning for future disasters and emergencies.

Regional Public Health Training Centers: An Essential Partner in Workforce Development.

Regional Public Health Training Centers: An Essential Partner in Workforce Development.

4.M. Round table: Preparing the climate and health workforce in Europe

Abstract Climate change is the biggest threat to public health. Any increase in global warming leads to negative impacts on human health and well-being. Due to the complexity of climate change, it is essential that future generations of public health professionals have the knowledge to address the uncertainties faced currently. Yet, schools and institutes in public health are taking insufficient action in preparing the current and future public health workforce. This workshop focuses on climate and health education inside and outside the public health field. Research from Krasna et al. (2020) shows that public health employees need professionals with the knowledge and skills set in climate and health. There has been a clear trend in which job postings for public health professionals are increasingly mentioning “climate change” or “global warming”. Orhan et al. (2021) showed that most of their surveyed European public health schools are taking climate action and have some climate-health offerings, albeit ad hoc: a systematic, collaborative approach is missing in most schools. Universities have a key function in leading change in society and have a social responsibility. All public health professionals need to understand the basics, be able to communicate knowledgeably, and form partnerships and alliances in multidisciplinary settings with experts in these areas. Therefore, interprofessional, interdisciplinary, and transformational educational activities, which require that not only problem-solving skills but also system thinking, change and implementation strategies should be included in modern curricula addressing climate change. At the same time, future public health professionals are current younger generations: climate and health education should be implemented from an early age on, so it leads towards a more sustainable future. This workshop aims to: Set the need for climate and health in public health Explore current public health workforce needs and developments in climate and health Explore what action schools inside and outside public health can take This workshop consists of an interactive panel with four panellists. The audience will be actively engaged in the debate, by opening the floor to questions and comments. The workshop will end with identifying how the public health field can move forward to ensure that current and future generations have the proper education in climate and health. There is still a need for long-term investment, far ahead of the 2030 target of the European Union. For this target to be delivered, all constituent elements of European life will need to play their part. Due to the wide experiences of the audience, we expect that the exchanges will be fruitful for all present and will allow everyone, in their context, to further contribute to climate and health in the context of the public health workforce or broader education. Speakers/Panelists Marija Jevtic University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Novi Sad, Serbia Heather Krasna Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, USA Nataša Vrapčević EU Climate Pact Ambassador of Serbia, Novi Sad, Serbia Rana Orhan ASPHER, Brussels, Belgium Key messages Climate and health has to be included in education to improve collective understanding and allow proper mitigation and adaptation policies to be developed and implemented. Academic institutions should be forward-thinking and use their influence to be leaders in the area of climate change and its intersection with public health.

An Alzheimer’s Curriculum to Educate the Current and Future Public Health Workforce

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death among adults in the United States and the 5th leading cause for those aged 65 and older. Nearly 14 million Americans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia by 2060, but the public health workforce is struggling to meet current demands. As the older adult population continues to grow, the public health sector will need to ensure a sizable and competent workforce is prepared to meet the needs of those living with dementia as well as their caregivers. In support of national efforts to promote and ensure a competent workforce, the Alzheimer’s Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Emory University developed “A Public Health Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias” (ADOD) curriculum. The free, introductory curricular resource was first piloted by faculty and students at undergraduate schools of public health across the country; however, due to its broad applicability the curriculum has since been updated and expanded to educate graduate students in schools of public health, students in related disciplines, and practicing public health professionals. The curriculum provides an introduction to ADOD as a public health crisis, basics of dementia, the role of public health in addressing the epidemic, and the creation of dementia-friendly communities. The purpose of the curriculum is to educate future public health workforces about ADOD; encourage the current public health workforce to apply knowledge to practice; and seek to improve health outcomes for those living with dementia, as well as their caregivers.

Identifying core competencies for practicing public health professionals: results from a Delphi exercise in Uttar Pradesh, India

BackgroundEnsuring the current public health workforce has appropriate competencies to fulfill essential public health functions is challenging in many low- and middle-income countries. The absence of an agreed set of core competencies to provide a basis for developing and assessing knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes contributes to this challenge. This study aims to identify the requisite core competencies for practicing health professionals in mid-level supervisory and program management roles to effectively perform their public health responsibilities in the resource-poor setting of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India.MethodsWe used a multi-step, interactive Delphi technique to develop an agreed set of public health competencies. A narrative review of core competency frameworks and key informant interviews with human resources for health experts in India were conducted to prepare an initial list of 40 competency statements in eight domains. We then organized a day-long workshop with 22 Indian public health experts and government officials, who added to and modified the initial list. A revised list of 54 competency statements was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Aggregate statement scores were shared with the participants, who discussed the findings. Finally, the revised list was returned to participants for an additional round of ratings. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to identify stability between steps, and consensus was defined using the percent agreement criterion.ResultsStability between the first and second Delphi scoring steps was reached in 46 of the 54 statements. By the end of the second Delphi scoring step, consensus was reached on 48 competency statements across eight domains: public health sciences, assessment and analysis, policy and program management, financial management and budgeting, partnerships and collaboration, social and cultural determinants, communication, and leadership.ConclusionsThis study produced a consensus set of core competencies and domains in public health that can be used to assess competencies of public health professionals and revise or develop new training programs to address desired competencies. Findings can also be used to support workforce development by informing competency-based job descriptions for recruitment and performance management in the Indian context, and potentially can be adapted for use in resource-poor settings globally.

Suggestions for Strengthening the Public Health Leadership Development Model

For over 20 years the current model of Public Health Leadership Institutes (PHLIs) has been the primary model for “leadership” development. Past studies have shown that the model is successful in increasing participants’ knowledge and developing individual skills. However, limited evidence suggests that the model leads to outcome-based results. This review compares the current PHLI model with traditional corporate leadership development models and determines that the PHLI model is in fact related more closely with a “leader” development model. Additionally, it is suggested that it is not possible to measure outcome-based results because of the limitations of the current model. Finally, recommendations are made to refine the model to make it more closely aligned with a true “leadership” development model, thus making it more effective at educating and training the current public health workforce.

Studying an Ill-Defined Workforce

This article describes challenges, issues, and strategies associated with public health workforce research. The factors that contribute to workforce supply and demand imbalances are reviewed, and the unique difficulties encountered with studies of public health workers are identified. Two case studies of previous public health workforce research conducted by the New York Center for Health Workforce Studies are used to illustrate how different levels of analyses can be used to better understand recruitment and retention issues of public health workers and to inform programs and policies designed to ensure a well-sized and competent public health workforce. Case study 1, conducted in 2005, assessed supply and demand gaps in state and local health departments in six states and helped estimate the scope of recruitment and retention problems in these agencies. Case study 2, conducted in 2006, provided a detailed examination of the current public health workforce in local health departments in New York. Data drawn from this study were used to identify specific workforce challenges faced by these agencies. Findings from these case studies, conducted at different levels of analyses (multistate vs single state) and using different research methods (qualitative vs quantitative), are reviewed, highlighting differences based on scope and methods. Finally, suggested areas for future studies about the public health workforce are considered.

Using Social Marketing to Promote a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity: The Need for Training Public Health Professionals

The current public health workforce may not be prepared for the challenge of implementing social marketing programs, as there is only limited training on social marketing offered by schools of public health. Therefore, training programs for working public health professionals may be warranted. An inventory of current social marketing resources revealed a variety of conferences, journals, and World Wide Web sites that either include or are devoted to social marketing. However, a survey of public health professionals who have direct responsibility for social marketing programs indicates that they use these resources in only a limited fashion. Recommendations include marketing current training resources to increase their use by working professionals, expanding the number and location of training conferences, and exploring opportunities for distance education.