Credentialing the public health workforce: an idea whose time has come

Area of Science:

• Public Health Workforce Development
• Professional Competency and Credentialing

Background:

• The need for a competent public health workforce has been recognized since the 1988 Institute of Medicine report.
• Lifelong learning and career growth incentives are current priorities for national public health organizations and federal agencies.
• The diverse nature of the public health workforce presents challenges to standardized development strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the interrelationships between competency, certification, and accreditation within the public health workforce.
• To summarize expert panel discussions on incentives for workforce development, focusing on certification and credentialing.
• To encourage public health leaders to actively shape strategies for workforce enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Review of expert panel dialogue on public health workforce development incentives.
• Analysis of the relationships among competency, certification, and accreditation.
• Synthesis of current interests from national public health associations and federal agencies.

Main Results:

• Certification and credentialing are key areas for developing workforce development incentives.
• The multifaceted nature of the public health workforce requires tailored approaches to competency and career growth.
• Expert dialogue highlights the need for strategic framing of workforce issues.

Conclusions:

• Public health leaders must engage in strategic planning to address workforce development challenges.
• Certification and credentialing are critical components for fostering a skilled and adaptable public health workforce.
• Effective strategies require a nuanced understanding of the diverse professions within public health.