scholarly journals State of Emergency Preparedness of Kentucky's Rural Public Health Workforce: Assessing its Ability to Identify Community Health Problems

2008 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Williams
2006 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary S. Moore ◽  
Audrey Perlow ◽  
Christine Judge ◽  
Howard Koh

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract The duties encompassed within public health, according to Acheson's definition, are to be undertaken by society as a whole. This is further emphasised within 'ASPHER's European List of Core Competencies for the Public Health Professional' which mentions that public health responsibilities fall upon the 'public health workforce'. If even those outside the medical profession are considered part of the public health workforce, why are medical students being overlooked as a group who can contribute? As representatives of the future generation of medical professionals, shouldn't they be an obvious starting point for practising public health advocacy? Medical students have the potential to act and, with better integration into the public health workforce, could become an asset. Despite them having a legal obligation to contribute in emergency situations, there are insufficiencies or a lack of clarity within the guidelines to highlight and elaborate on what students are specifically expected to be able to carry out in various situations. This is in stark contrast to the predefined lists of competencies against which medical professionals are assessed. This workshop will focus on identifying the core competencies regarding medical students in their contribution to emergency preparedness and how these could be integrated into the existing framework for effecting a structured and organised response. The primary outcome is to achieve better advocacy for public health in future medical professionals with a focus on preparedness for emergency situations. To begin with, research carried out to elucidate whether different countries have set guidelines or competencies that are expected of medical students by the conclusion of their medical studies will be presented. Such guidelines both on national and regional levels were identified and then compared following analysis. This will be followed by more personal accounts from medical students and a discussion of the potential steps that could be introduced to improve emergency preparedness. Shortcomings of such guidelines concerning medical student competencies are further highlighted in times of crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is during this time when healthcare systems are stretched and their contribution may be most valuable. The nature of this contribution within the context of international pandemic plans will be explored and debated. Finally this workshop will conclude by opening up the floor for discussion between the panellists and the audience regarding the topics and issues raised. This workshop aims to highlight the need for core competencies in medical education and bring this topic to the forefront for further discussion and analysis amongst professionals, with the eventual international unification, simplification and clarification of these being the ultimate goal. This could be pivotal for the future of public health and in the advancement and evolution of education. Key messages Armed with suitable competencies, medical students can be an asset to the public health workforce if utilised effectively and in doing so can enhance preparedness response. This project’s outcomes are in alignment with ASPHER’s European Public Health Core Competencies Programme (EPHCCP) and the WHO Coalition of Partners (CoP).


2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 390-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Barnett ◽  
George S. Everly ◽  
Cindy L. Parker ◽  
Jonathan M. Links

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S113-S118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Pearson ◽  
Jack Thompson ◽  
Joe Finkbonner ◽  
Chris Williams ◽  
Luann DʼAmbrosio

Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich

Abstract Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals. We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents. Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations. The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals. Key messages Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-484
Author(s):  
Christine M. Plepys ◽  
Heather Krasna ◽  
Jonathon P. Leider ◽  
Emily M. Burke ◽  
Craig H. Blakely ◽  
...  

Objectives. To improve understanding of the future public health workforce by analyzing first-destination employment outcomes of public health graduates. Methods. We assessed graduate outcomes for those graduating in 2015–2018 using descriptive statistics and the Pearson χ2 test. Results. In our analysis of data on 53 463 graduates, we found that 73% were employed; 15% enrolled in further education; 5% entered a fellowship, internship, residency, volunteer, or service program; and 6% were not employed. Employed graduates went to work in health care (27%), corporations (24%), academia (19%), government (17%), nonprofit (12%), and other sectors (1%). In 2018, 9% of bachelor’s, 4% of master’s, and 2% of doctoral graduates were not employed but seeking employment. Conclusions. Today’s public health graduates are successful in finding employment in various sectors. This new workforce may expand public health’s reach and lead to healthier communities overall. Public Health Implications. With predicted shortages in the governmental public health workforce and expanding hiring because of COVID-19, policymakers need to work to ensure the supply of public health graduates meets the demands of the workforce.


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