Do Accredited State Health Agency Public Health Workforce Development Plans Align With the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey?

摘要

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards and Measures, Version 1.5 (2015),1 require public health departments to maintain a competent and adequately staffed public health workforce to meet public health needs. These standards can be achieved through competency assessment and professional development of public health workers. Providing a competent workforce requires realistic policies and a sustained commitment to the development of that workforce. Positive and supportive work environments are also vital to the success of public health organizations. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) was created in 20142 to assess individual public health workers' perceptions about their workforce environment, job satisfaction, and training needs. As threats to public health increase and become more complex, the roles of public health staff will expand and require the workforce to acquire new skills to meet these needs. Informed training and leadership development, accountability, and succession planning will be required to accommodate an aging workforce. It is estimated that approximately 40% of current public health employees plan to leave the workforce by 2020.3 Consequently, national public health organizations have identified public health workforce shortages as one of the most urgent priorities in need of being addressed. Enhanced workforce development plans will ensure congruent, quality public health services that will benefit the public at large. The question is whether PH WINS data can provide accredited health departments with the information they need to develop robust workforce development plans to address the issues facing public health today.