scholarly journals No Two Workforces Are the Same: A Systematic Review of Enumerations and Definitions of Public Health Workforces

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory D. Watts ◽  
Devin C. Bowles ◽  
Eli Ryan ◽  
Colleen Fisher ◽  
Ian W. Li
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
The Public ◽  
Data Alignment ◽  
Public Health Functions

The delivery and coordination of public health functions is essential to national and global health, however, there are considerable problems in defining the people who work in public health, as well as estimating their number. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to identify and explore research which has defined and enumerated public health workforces. In particular, how were such workforces defined? Who was included in these workforces? And how did researchers make judgments about the size of a workforce? In this systematic review, we identified 82 publications which enumerated a public health workforce between 2000 and November 2018. Most workforce definitions were unique and study-specific and included workers based on their occupation or their place of work. Common occupations included public health nurses and physicians, epidemiologists, and community health workers. National workforces varied by size, with the United States and Switzerland having the largest public health workforces per-capita, although definitions used varied substantially. Normative assessments (e.g., assessments of ideal workforce size) were informed through opinion, benchmarks or “service-target” models. There are very few regular, consistent enumerations within countries, and fewer still which capture a substantial proportion of the public heath workforce. Assessing the size of the public health workforce is often overlooked and would be aided by fit-for-purpose data, alignment of occupations and functions to international standards, and transparency in normative methods.

scholarly journals Environmental Health Workforce – Essential for Interdisciplinary Solutions to the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Ryan ◽  
Raymond Swienton ◽  
Curt Harris ◽  
James J. James
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mass Gatherings ◽  
Response And Recovery

ABSTRACT Interdisciplinary public health solutions are vital for an effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response and recovery. However, there is often a lack of awareness and understanding of the environmental health workforce connections and capabilities. In the United States, this is a foundational function of health departments and is the second largest public health workforce. The primary role is to protect the public from exposures to environmental hazards, disasters, and disease outbreaks. More specifically, this includes addressing risks relating to sanitation, drinking water, food safety, vector control, and mass gatherings. This profession is also recognized in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019. Despite this, the profession is often not considered an essential service. Rapid integration into COVID-19 activities can easily occur as most are government employees and experienced working in complex and stressful situations. This role, for example, could include working with leaders, businesses, workplaces, and churches to safely reopen, and inspections to inform, educate, and empower employers, employees, and the public on safe actions. There is now the legislative support, evidence and a window of opportunity to truly enable interdisciplinary public health solutions by mobilizing the environmental health workforce to support COVID-19 response, recovery, and resilience activities.

The Public Health Learning Network: Strengthening the Public Health Workforce of Today to Meet the Challenges of Tomorrow

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 13S-16S ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer McKeever ◽  
Dorothy Evans
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Health Training ◽  
The Public ◽  
Learning Network ◽  
Public Health Training

In 2013, the Health Resources & Services Administration redesigned the long-standing Public Health Training Center program to meet the training needs of the modern public health workforce and to implement parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which sets the training, recruitment, and retention of public health workers as a priority. Understanding that today’s most significant public health threats are socially constructed, resulting in chronic disease and significant years of life lost, the Health Resources & Services Administration laid the groundwork for the creation of a nationally unified network of training centers—the Public Health Learning Network (PHLN). The PHLN is the nation’s most comprehensive system of public health educators, health experts, thought leaders, and practitioners working together to advance public health training and practice. The system comprises 10 regional public health training centers, 40 local performance sites, and a National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training. The PHLN strengthens the workforce in state, local, and tribal health departments, as well as community health centers and primary care settings, to improve the capacity of a broad range of public health personnel to meet the complex public health challenges of today and tomorrow.

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 9-10
Author(s):  
Taylor Kennedy ◽  
Molly French ◽  
Linelle Blais ◽  
Nia Reed
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Schools Of Public Health

Abstract 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.

scholarly journals Profile of the Public Health Workforce: Registered TRAIN Learners in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (S2) ◽  
pp. e30-e36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery A. Jones ◽  
Lois Banks ◽  
Ilya Plotkin ◽  
Sunny Chanthavongsa ◽  
Nathan Walker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
The Public

Communities of practice to improve public health outcomes: a systematic review

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza Barbour ◽  
Rebecca Armstrong ◽  
Patrick Condron ◽  
Claire Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Structured Problem Solving ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Communities of practice (CoPs) exist to enable people to share knowledge, innovate and progress a common field of practice. This paper aims to identify whether CoPs have a measured impact on public health practice and the tools used to measure the impact and potential barriers and facilitators that may have been identified during the implementation of these CoPs. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Searches of six databases, Google Scholar and a citation search were completed. Included studies were from 1986 to 2016, involved the public health workforce and an evaluation of a CoP -like intervention. A narrative synthesis of the findings was conducted. Findings From 3,021 publications, 12 studies met inclusion criteria and described the impact of ten CoPs amongst public health practitioners from America, Canada, Australasia and the United Kingdom. CoPs support the prevention workforce to change their practice when they provide structured problem-solving, reflective practice and networking opportunities. None of the studies described the impact of CoPs on public health outcomes. Practical implications CoPs that provide structured problem-solving, reflective practice and diverse networking may effectively support the public health workforce. Existing methods used to evaluate CoPs lack rigour; thus, the true impact of CoPs on population health remains unknown. Originality/value This is the first known systematic review that has measured the impact of CoPs on the preventative health workforce and the conditions in which they have an impact.

scholarly journals Analysis of CEPH-accredited DrPH programs in the United States: A mixed-methods study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0245892
Author(s):  
Chulwoo Park ◽  
Gene Migliaccio ◽  
Mark Edberg ◽  
Seble Frehywot ◽  
Geralyn Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The Public

Interest has been growing in regard to increasing the public health workforce and standardizing training to ensure there are competent professionals to support rebuilding and reinforcing the public health infrastructure of the United States. The need for public health leaders was recognized as early as the hookworm control campaign during 1909–1914 when it became apparent that prevention of disease should be distinct from clinical medicine and should be conducted by professionally trained, dedicated full-time public health practitioners. In recent years, research on the public health workforce and on standardizing health workforce education has significantly expanded. A key element of such a workforce is public health leadership, and DrPH programs are the means to provide effective public health education for these future health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the general trend of DrPH programs from past to present and analyze the common themes and variations of 28 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited DrPH programs in the United States. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach, investigating DrPH education at each school or program to improve our understanding of the current status of DrPH programs.

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