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LuAnn Ellison, MPH, CHES, Office of Public Health Preparedness, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, Donna L. Richter, EdD, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Health Sciences Building, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, Dorothy Cumbey, PhD, Office of Quality Management, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, Donna R. Rhoades, PhD, Brighten Your Future, 2700 N. Beltline Blve, Columbia, SC 29204, Samuel Baker, PhD, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Department of Health Services and Policy Management, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, and Sara J. Corwin, MPH, PhD, Office of Public Health Practice, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 803-777-3636, corwins@gwm.sc.edu.
An assessment of training needs is a critical benchmark toward achieving a competent and ready public health workforce. The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) collaborated with the USC Arnold School of Public Health to develop a survey to assess the Agency’s Health Services workforce training needs related to core public health competencies and emergency preparedness. A 102-item web-based survey was developed from two source documents: the Council on Linkages’ general public health competencies and Columbia University School of Nursing’s emergency preparedness competencies. Core public health competency questions were matched to specific job classifications: support, technical, professional, and senior management; emergency preparedness competencies were embedded throughout the survey. Target scores were calculated for each individual competency for each job classification. In Spring 2003, the online survey was offered to all SC DHEC clinical and preventive health services employees (N=4025). The response rate was 65.3% (n=2629). Eighty-seven percent of the respondents were female, 74% were white, 38% were 45-54 years of age, and 46% reported their highest educational level as equal to or beyond a bachelor’s degree. The communication domain received the highest self-report skill ratings across all job categories, while the lowest self-report skill ratings varied by job classification and by competency domain. Data also suggest a “disconnect” in respondents’ perceived self-ratings of emergency preparedness skills and the applicability to their jobs. The survey results will be utilized to develop trainings designed to build capacity within the Agency’s Health Services workforce.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Workforce, Leadership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.