Authors: Joanne Pearsol & Omar Khalid
In 2021, Trista Harris, a philanthropic futurist and keynote to an ASTHO-supported think tank, shared seven trends predicted to shape the future of the public health workforce. Among those trends were sector shifts that would send an influx of entry-level workers to public health, pivots that included expansion and diversification of the workforce, and continued focus on workplace culture, remote work, and worker burnout. We continue to see these and other forces affect the way governmental public health agencies do their work.
As former state health agency employees, we have experienced these chronic challenges facing the workforce, which have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that job vacancies can lead to heavy workloads for existing staff, heavy workloads can lead to job burnout, and burnout can be the impetus for individuals to make a job shift. We also know that governmental agencies face unique limitations to recruiting and hiring new staff that private sector entities may not experience. It can seem like a vicious cycle.
At the same time, we also see a shining opportunity—new, public health-dedicated funding through initiatives like the CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) present new opportunities to bolster the workforce and address these chronic issues that have plagued governmental public health. Our public health workforce deserves the best we have to offer as employers, and as ASTHO employees we are dedicated—and honored—to be a part of the solution-finding.
Since Trista Harris’s remarks, ASTHO has ramped up efforts to address both ends of the workforce spectrum—PublicHealthCareers.org helps health agencies recruit new talent and PH-HERO supports employees once hired. These resources help governmental public health agencies to find qualified applicants for vacant positions and support the creation of an organizational culture and work experience that will keep them there.
PublicHealthCareers.org offers features and content to entice new candidates to the field. Having just celebrated its first anniversary, the site has reached nearly 95,000 users since the public launch. Real professionals tell their career stories using their own words—many of them speaking to their impact, how rewarding they find their work, and the ongoing learning opportunities. Application portals from all state, territorial, and freely associated state agencies are linked in one convenient location, and work opportunities across the United States are searchable. The site caters both to early career professionals just beginning to consider public health and to those looking to advance their public health journeys within their specialties. The site regularly adds content, so there is always something new to explore. Governmental public health agencies who wish to capitalize on this recruitment opportunity should contact workforce@astho.org. Job seekers should check out the site to learn more about working in public health.
ASTHO’s Public Health – Hope, Equity, Resilience, and Opportunity (PH-HERO) initiative was designed to address the burnout and stress that plagued the workforce even before the COVID-19 response. The program’s goal is to aid in overall retention and recruitment efforts and to support a culture of well-being and resilience within public health agencies. Beginning with five health agency participants and growing to 13 in 2023, PH-HERO builds upon the best available evidence for designing thriving workplaces at an organizational level using a trauma-responsive approach and equity framework. This includes training participants on the impact of trauma in the public health workforce as well as supervisory skills training to lead teams effectively in a psychologically safe environment. Resources to educate about building organizational resilience skills are thoroughly vetted and available on the public-facing PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center. ASTHO has distilled this approach into a technical package of practical recommendations to improve retention and organizational well-being that focuses on specific actions a public health agency can take to develop a culture of workforce wellbeing. PH-HERO continues to operate with a learning community of selected applicants to continue contributing to the evidence base for supporting the public health workforce.
Future public health visioning may unearth new and different forces that impact our workforce, and we are committed to keeping in front of them. In the meantime, recruiting, caring for, and retaining the people who dedicate their careers to the noble public health cause is of critical importance, and we hope that these resources further that aim.
About the authors:
Joanne Pearsol’s early career as a health educator in local and state governmental public health agencies unexpectedly revealed that what she liked best about her job was helping individuals be their best professional selves and organizations become model workplaces. A move to the academic public health arena and a master’s degree in workforce education and development facilitated a three-decade career that allowed her to focus on workforce passions. Pearsol now serves as a director of workforce at ASTHO.
Omar Khalid has spent time in roles supporting executive leadership of a state health agency, including during the COVID-19 pandemic response. His roles have allowed him to work with individuals contributing in many varied ways to the health department’s mission, and to appreciate the dedication and expertise of so many public health workers. He desired to focus his efforts on ways to support and care for the public health workforce that works hard to keep our communities safe. He now serves as a director of workforce at ASTHO.