Estimating Public Health Workforce Efforts Toward Foundational Public Health Services.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Health Workforce Studies

Background:

• Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) are essential for community health protection.
• Estimating the required public health workforce for FPHS is a critical need for health departments.
• Current public health infrastructure is under scrutiny following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the potential utility of a Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) calculator for determining health department workforce needs.
• To gather qualitative insights from public health leaders on the perceived benefits and challenges of using an FPHS-based staffing tool.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 state and local public health leaders via Zoom.
• Interviews took place between December 2020 and January 2021.
• The study focused on understanding participants' perspectives on an FPHS calculator's potential use.

Main Results:

• Most participants believed an FPHS calculator could aid in justifying new staff requests and assessing community health needs.
• Concerns were raised regarding the tool's use amidst existing workforce challenges like hiring freezes and funding restrictions.
• Potential benefits included workforce cross-training and skill diversification, while risks involved time commitment and the risk of setting a minimum standard instead of a target.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportune moment to enhance public health infrastructure.
• An FPHS-based staffing tool has the potential to significantly transform public health practices.
• Implementing such a tool could usher in a new era for public health workforce planning.