Practical model for workforce development and community engagement in the public health laboratory

Numerous reports detail the challenges facing the public health laboratory workforce. We focused on an action-oriented solution, scaled to the largest state public health laboratory in the US: the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health. Here, we report findings from four activities developed/supported by the Community. Advancement. Recruitment. Engagement. (CARE) initiative.

Over 18 months, CARE re-established academic engagement activities, supported the formation of learning groups, assisted the development of an Orientation Program, and established a formal Steering Committee.

Programmatic success based on quantitative outcomes was clear: >1,000 students reached through academic outreach, 79% of Orientation Program participants correctly responded to all assessment questions, 35x higher engagement with learning modules from participants in a learning group, and 13 objectives completed in the initial Steering Committee term. In addition, participant satisfaction was ≥70% for all activities.

Challenges included dedicated time/logistics, minimal budget, and navigating formal process/procedure. CARE's success in developing cross-center relational infrastructure and engaging staff in meaningful opportunities to contribute has established a strong foundation for future activities. Our work provides a realistic, low budget, integrated model, deployable in scientific and diverse public health institutions.