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The Need for Responsive Workforce Development During the Pandemic and Beyond: A Case Study of the Regional Public
Phoebe K G Kulik1, Melissa Alperin, Karla S Todd Barrett
1Region V Public Health Training Center and Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan (Mss Kulik and Zemmel and Dr Power); Region IV Public Health Training Center at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Alperin); New England Public Health Training Center at the Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Ms Todd Barrett and Dr Kenefick); Northwest Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Washington (UW) School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington (Dr Bekemeier and Mss Rogers and Rose); UW School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington (Dr Bekemeier); Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Documet and Ms Francis); Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Documet); Region 2 Public Health Training Center and Department of Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, New York (Dr Gloria); Region IX Western Region Public Health Training Center at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona (Mr Healy and Dr Reynolds); Midwestern Public Health Training Center and the Institute for Public Health Practice, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa (Mr Hileman and Ms Walkner); Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University's School of Public Health, Bloomington, Indiana (Dr Lederer); formerly the Region 6 South Central Public Health Training Center at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana (Dr Lederer); Region V Public Health Training Center and Center for Public Health Systems in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Dr Leider); Region IV Public Health Training Center, Office of Public Health Practice, and Department of Health Policy and Organization at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, Alabama (Dr McCormick); National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training at the National Network of Public Health Institutes, New Orleans, Louisiana (Ms Prechter); and Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center, the Colorado Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, and the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Scallan Walter).
Context:
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of a strong public health infrastructure for protecting and supporting the health of communities. This includes ensuring an adaptive workforce capable of leading through rapidly changing circumstances, communicating effectively, and applying systems thinking to leverage cross-sector partnerships that help promote health equity. The 10 Regional Public Health Training Centers (PHTCs) advance the capacity of the current and future public health workforce through skill development and technical assistance in these and other strategic areas.
Program:
This study examines activities through which the Regional PHTCs and their partners supported the public health workforce during the pandemic. Representatives of the 10 Regional PHTCs completed a survey in the spring of 2022. The survey included (1) pulling trends in training usage from 2018-2021 annual performance reports and (2) questions assessing the type, content, and reach of training needs assessments, training and technical assistance, student placements, and PHTC Network collaborative activities that occurred from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Respondents also reflected on trends in use, challenges, lessons learned, stories of impact, and future PHTC practice.
Evaluation:
During the pandemic, the Regional PHTCs engaged in numerous efforts to assess needs, provide training and technical assistance to the practice community, facilitate projects that built student competency to support public health agency efforts, and collaborate as the PHTC Network on national-level initiatives. Across these activities, the Regional PHTCs adjusted their approaches and learned from each other in order to meet regional needs.
Discussion:
The Regional PHTCs provided student and professional development in foundational public health knowledge and skills within their regions and nationally while being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the field during the pandemic. Our study highlights opportunities for collaboration and adaptive approaches to public health workforce development in a postpandemic environment.
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