A hugely diverse array of workers in Maine’s medical care sector and nonprofit community organizations perform the work of protecting the public’s health. These clinicians, social service professionals, administrators, educators, and community organizers offer categorical services at the local level in lieu of an established municipal and county public health structure, as is prevalent in other states. As Maine’s Turning Point Project attempts to weave these community representatives into a more coordinated fabric of public health services, Maine faces a significant challenge in providing education and training to a workforce that largely views itself as outside the public health system.
This presentation will review how Maine has struggled to identify and define its public health workforce and its educational needs. Through the resources of the Maine Turning Point Project, surveys, interviews, and focus groups have been conducted to both assess educational needs and examine the current system of educational providers. Recommendations for further developing educational opportunities for Maine’s public health workforce will be reviewed. Initial efforts to address those recommendations—development of Maine’s first MPH program, creation of leadership development seminars, linkages with out-of-state schools of public health for continuing education resources—will be summarized. Issues of overlap with other Turning Point efforts, such as infrastructure development and interface of clinical care and public health, will be explored.
This presentation will be of interest to individuals in other rural states attempting to link together a community-level public health system from a patchwork of nontraditional public health providers.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant will be able to: identify the steps required to develop a responsive education and training plan for a rural, nontraditional public health workforce
Keywords: Workforce, Public Health Infrastructure
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Maine Turning Point Project,
Maine Center for Public Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: On the Board of both organizations