284717
Strengthening the public health workforce by supporting a learning culture value system
Lydia R. Frass, PhD, MPH
,
Office of Public Health Practice, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Lillian U. Smith, DrPH, MPH, CHES
,
Director, Office of Public Health Practice and SC Public Health Consortium, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Gregory A. Hand, PhD
,
Office of Research, University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Lu Anne Ellison, MPH, CHES
,
SC Department Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, SC
Governmental public health agencies are experiencing a challenge in improving and supporting a learning culture as many face systematic budget cuts, employee attrition, and an inadequate pipeline of skilled and well-trained public health professionals to fill the ranks. These challenges have directly impacted public health professionals in strengthening and maintaining their discipline competencies and public health skills. The South Carolina Public Health Training Center (SC PHTC) is working with its state's lead governmental public health agency to support their development of a learning culture that aims to strengthen the technical, scientific, managerial, and leadership competence of their current and future public health workforce. Through an academic and experiential partnership, SC PHTC staff members are serving on and providing guidance on best practices to the agency's workforce development team which is comprised of state public health professionals charged with developing an agency-wide workforce development plan. In addition to providing information on key methods and best practices that can be embedded in the plan to reinforce the agency's commitment to learning, SC PHTC is helping to develop and provide effectual resources such as “low cost - high touch” job aids and continuing education courses. These process methods are applicable to any governmental public health agency and may offer a unique approach that will help support the development of a culture of ongoing learning and development geared toward strengthening public health competencies and skills of public health professionals during challenging times.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Learning Objectives:
Identify key methods and best practices for creating a learning culture in governmental public health agencies to strengthen and improve the skills and competencies of the public health workforce.
Discuss the impact that budget cuts, employee attrition and an insufficient “talent” pipeline have on employees’ strengthening their skills and competencies to meet and provide public health services.
Keywords: Workforce, Competency
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have designed and administered the state public health workforce assessment to identify skills gaps, training needs and assess public health professionals level of competence in relations to Council of Linkages Public Health Competencies. Additionally, I have worked on multiple collaborative learning projects with the state governmental public health agency.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
Register for the meeting now