scholarly journals Commentary - Is the future of “population/public health” in Canada united or divided? Reflections from within the field

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 223-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Lucyk ◽  
Lindsay McLaren
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
The Public ◽  
Unified Field ◽  
The Future ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Population And Public Health

“Are population and public health truly a unified field, or is population health simply attaching itself to public health as a means of gaining credibility?” This commentary was prompted by the above question, which was asked during K. L.’s PhD candidacy exam. In response, K. L. cited recent developments in the field to support her conviction that population and public health (PPH) existed positively as a unified discipline. However, through conversations that ensued over the subsequent weeks and months, we concluded that this issue goes deeper than the existence of departments and organizations labelled “population and public health,” and may benefit from debate and discussion, particularly for the incoming generation of PPH scholars. In this commentary, we argue that (1) the PPH label at times implies a coherence of ideas, values and priorities that may not be present; (2) it is important and timely to work towards a more unified PPH; and (3) both challenges to and opportunities for a more unified PPH exist, which we illustrate using the broad areas of research funding, the public health workforce and PPH ethics.

Commentary: Who is Remembering Local Public Health? The Forgotten Pandemic Worker

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-117
Author(s):  
Jodi Brookins-Fisher ◽  
Alexis Blavos ◽  
Heidi Hancher-Rauch ◽  
Amy Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Health Experts

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, there is no end in sight to the stress induced on the public health workforce. It is clear over the last 18+ months that the woeful underfunding of public health efforts across the US impacted the speed and agility with which public health experts have tackled the pandemic. This has led to the emotional decimation of public health workers who have plowed forward, even as they have worked long and stressful hours while also being politically and physically vilified. If this continues, what does the future of our public health workforce look like?

scholarly journals Rebuilding to shape a better future: the role of young professionals in the public health workforce

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Li Han Wong ◽  
Ines Siepmann ◽  
Tara T. Chen ◽  
Shelby Fisher ◽  
Tobias S. Weitzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
The Public ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
The Future ◽  
Continuous Support

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the extreme needs of the public health workforce. As societies discuss how to build up the capacity and infrastructure of their systems, it is crucial that young professionals are involved. Previous attempts to incorporate young professionals into the public health workforce have wrestled with inaccessibility, tokenisation, and a lack of mentorship, leading to a loss of potential workforce members and a non-representative workforce that reinforces systemic societal exclusion of diverse young people. These barriers must be addressed through robust mentorship structures, intentional recruitment and continuous support, as well as genuine recognition of the contributions of young professionals to build the sustainable, interdisciplinary, unified public health that is necessary for the future.

scholarly journals 32.H. Round table: Emergency preparedness: Core competencies for medical students as part of public health workforce

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
The Public ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
The Future

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).

scholarly journals Evaluation of Education for Public Health: A Practical Foundation for Solidarity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Professionals

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.

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