scholarly journals Rural Public Health Workforce Training and Development: The Performance of an Undergraduate Internship Programme in a Rural Hospital and Healthcare Centre

Author(s):  
Luis Dos Santos

Workforce shortages in the field of public health and healthcare are significant. Due to the limitations of career opportunities and compensation, rural hospitals and healthcare centres usually have on-going career openings for all departments. As a result, university departments of public health and healthcare management, and rural hospitals and health centres may need to establish internship and training programmes for undergraduate senior-year students in order to provide opportunities and human resource opportunities for both students and public health professions. The research examined the performance, feedback, and opinions of a university-based one-year-long on-site internship training programme between a university public health and healthcare undergraduate department and a regional hospital and healthcare centre in a rural region in the United States. Individual interview data were collected from management trainees and focus group activities data were collected from hospital departmental supervisors who have completed this one-year-long on-site internship training programme. The results offered an assessment of performance and evaluation of how a one-year-long internship programme could be beneficial to hospitals and health centres in the areas of human resources, manpower management, and skill training to prospective professionals in rural and regional communities. Also, the study provided a blueprint and alternative for universities and partnered sites to redesign and improve their current internship programmes which may better fit their needs for their actual situations.

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110557
Author(s):  
Karen L. Niemchick ◽  
Ally Goerge ◽  
Amy H. Ponte

Objective With the completion of the Human Genome Project and swift development of genomic technologies, public health practitioners can use these advancements to more precisely target disease interventions to populations at risk. To integrate these innovations into better health outcomes, public health professionals need to have at least a basic understanding of genomics within various disciplines of public health. This descriptive study focused on the current level of genomics content in accredited master of public health (MPH) programs in the United States. Methods We conducted an internet search on all 171 Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)–accredited MPH programs in the United States for genomics content in required and elective courses using the search terms “genetics,” “genomics,” and “molecular.” Results Of the 171 CEPH-accredited MPH programs examined, 52 (30.4%) schools and programs in 34 states offered some type of genomics education. Thirty-five (20.5%) schools and programs had a course in genetic epidemiology, 29 (16.9%) had a course in genetic biostatistics or bioinformatics, and 17 (9.9%) had a course in general public health genomics. The remaining 119 offered no course with a focus on genetics or genomics. In addition, some electives or specifically focused courses related to genomics were offered. Conclusion We found inadequate training in public health genomics for MPH students. To realize the promise of precision public health and to increase the understanding of genomics among the public health workforce, MPH programs need to find ways to integrate genomics education into their curricula.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (01) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. Dixon ◽  
H. Kharrazi ◽  
H. P. Lehmann

Summary Objectives: To survey advances in public health and epidemiology informatics over the past three years. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public health informatics (PHI), and published in MEDLINE between January 2012 and December 2014, where information and communication technology (ICT) was a primary subject, or a main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were synthesized using a thematic analysis using the Essential Services of Public Health as a typology. Results: Based on themes that emerged, we organized the advances into a model where applications that support the Essential Services are, in turn, supported by a socio-technical infrastructure that relies on government policies and ethical principles. That infrastructure, in turn, depends upon education and training of the public health workforce, development that creates novel or adapts existing infrastructure, and research that evaluates the success of the infrastructure. Finally, the persistence and growth of infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: Public health informatics is a field that is growing in breadth, depth, and complexity. Several Essential Services have benefited from informatics, notably, “Monitor Health,” “Diagnose & Investigate,” and “Evaluate.” Yet many Essential Services still have not yet benefited from advances such as maturing electronic health record systems, interoperability amongst health information systems, analytics for population health management, use of social media among consumers, and educational certification in clinical informatics. There is much work to be done to further advance the science of PHI as well as its impact on public health practice.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1952 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-516

ON THE basis of provisional data it appears that infant mortality in the United States has continued to improve in 1951, despite the fact that the birth rate has gone up again. The National Office of Vital Statistics, Public Health Service, has published in the Monthly Vital Statistics Bulletin for February 1952 an analysis of the telegraphic reports received from the various states for the year 1951. While the data are subject to correction [See Figure 1. in Source PDF.] and final figures will almost surely result in slight revisions, previous experience indicates that the general trend is quite accurate. Figure 1 presents the month by month comparison, throughout the year, for birth rate, death rate, and infant mortality rate. Marriage license rate is shown through November 1951. It will be noted that in every month of the year the birth rate was higher than in the corresponding month of 1950. The annual rate was 24.5 per 1000 population, 4.3% higher than in 1950 but 5% lower than the peak birth rate reached in 1947. Taking into account an estimate for births which were not reported it is thought that 3,833,000 births took place in 1951. This is the greatest number of births in one year in the history of our country.


Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Ryan ◽  
Raymond Swienton ◽  
Curt Harris ◽  
James J. James

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-282
Author(s):  
Gilbert Gonzales ◽  
Nicole Quinones ◽  
Marie Martin

Achieving health equity is a national priority in the United States and having a public health workforce equipped to make health policy and administrative decisions that reduce disparities is needed. We examined 50 schools that offered an on-campus Master of Public Health and are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health with concentrations or tracks in health policy and management (HPM). Nationally, only 6 (12%) HPM tracks required students to take a course in health equity and/or disparities. Of the optional courses offered within HPM tracks, 30.5% were focused on specific health conditions, and 28% were focused on broadly defined inequities. A smaller portion of health equity courses covered topics in sexual and reproductive health (5.1%), women and gender (3.4%), immigration (1.7%), and LGBTQ populations (1.7%). If health equity is to be achieved in health policy and management, educating all students earning a Master of Public Health in HPM tracks on these issues and equipping them with competencies to effectively tackle health inequity is a starting place.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (01) ◽  
pp. 241-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Massoudi ◽  
K. G. Chester

Summary Objectives: To survey advances in public and population health and epidemiology informatics over the past 18 months. Methods: We conducted a review of English-language research works conducted in the domain of public and population health informatics and published in MEDLINE or Web of Science between January 2015 and June 2016 where information technology or informatics was a primary subject or main component of the study methodology. Selected articles were presented using a thematic analysis based on the 2011 American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Public Health Informatics Agenda tracks as a typology. Results: Results are given within the context developed by Dixon et al., (2015) and key themes from the 2011 AMIA Public Health Informatics Agenda. Advances are presented within a socio-technical infrastructure undergirded by a trained, competent public health workforce, systems development to meet the business needs of the practice field, and research that evaluates whether those needs are adequately met. The ability to support and grow the infrastructure depends on financial sustainability. Conclusions: The fields of public health and population health informatics continue to grow, with the most notable developments focused on surveillance, workforce development, and linking to or providing clinical services, which encompassed population health informatics advances. Very few advances addressed the need to improve communication, coordination, and consistency with the field of informatics itself, as identified in the AMIA agenda. This will likely result in the persistence of the silos of public health information systems that currently exist. Future research activities need to aim toward a holistic approach of informatics across the enterprise.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-150
Author(s):  
Dhananjay Srivastava

India has the responsibility to interpret and initiate appropriate public health action and notify those events that are of public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC) as a signatory to International Health Regulation (IHR) (2005) and Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The aim of the human resource goal of GHSA is to ensure adequate numbers of trained personnel for response to a public health emergency. Epidemiologists are an essential component of the public health workforce, and in ‘ Delhi Declaration of Epidemiology’ capacity building in epidemiology was identified as an important and urgent issue. Field epidemiology training programmes (FETPs) are competency-based training and service programmes in applied epidemiology and public health for building capacity which enhances better health response in the country. The goal of FETP is to build public health and epidemiological capacity through training to create high-calibre field epidemiologists and to strengthen the disease surveillance. The proposed cascade FETP model for India in this article is to strengthen epidemiological skills and disease surveillance at every level of health system in India. Expansion of FETPs to several institutions while maintaining the quality was emphasized to meet the global requirement of public health cadre, that is, one epidemiologist per 200,000 population.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Velez-Lapão ◽  
A Beja ◽  
P Nogueira

Abstract Background New developments and technologies require skilled professionals to manage and use public health information in most efficient ways. However, currently training in specific fields is lacking and large inequalities exist in Europe in terms of the availability and training of qualified professionals. Methods In order to set up a sustainable EU HI training program for HI professionals, core modules need to be selected to provide adequate training across Europe. This study a scoping review and is doing a survey on current existing HI programmes and aimes to identify the main educational components needed to train HI professionals. The databases of Pubmed and Ebsco were searched for the scoping review. The survey is being circulated to representatives of InfAct in 28 countries. Based on the results a baseline HI training programme for practicing public health professionals will be proposed. Results Initial search identified 249 papers. After the exclusion of duplicates and unavailable documents, 53 papers were selected for review. Only 5 papers were found related to the European context. However the results from other papers could be extrapolated. The results were organised in 3 domains: organisation, people and technology dimensions. The development of HI capacities is often done through multiple and sequential interventions, which are adapted to the needs, conditions and resources available within each HIS. Thus, the importance of aligning training with working processes and usability in professional practice is key. This can be challenging, as HI functions are diverse across Europe. The results of the survey will be presented when processed by the time of the workshop. Conclusions There is a need for qualified skilled professionals in HI taking into account a changing global environment. Most of HI capacity building programmes are yet to reach maturity, and this review and survey identify a set of important areas for further development of the HI training programme.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document