With public health facing staffing shortages, worker burnout, and 20 percent of the workforce nearing retirement, the field needs to attract new talent (de Beaumont Foundation and Association of State and Territorial Health). One new program, Public Health AmeriCorps, aims to be part of the solution.
Indiana’s public health system has long been underfunded and under-resourced, leading to poor health outcomes for our communities. Governor Eric J. Holcomb established the trailblazing Governor’s Public Health Commission to launch an assessment of the state’s public health system, and this legislative session, we hope to see a much-needed financial investment to improve statewide public health service delivery and create a healthier future for all Hoosiers.
Indiana’s trailblazing Governor’s Public Health Commission, convened 2021-2022, left our state with stark realizations about our public health system, along with actionable recommendations. The Indiana Public Health Association (IPHA) is taking the initiative to invest in students early in their public health careers through our Student Advisory Group, drawing more students into the field and equipping them to be successful when they enter the workforce.
While Public Health training centers will continue to play a critical role in training the public health workforce…we must find ways to engage, recruit, and retain this workforce, as well as train them.
A public health workforce that is representative of the population it serves is better equipped to address the unique needs of their community.
The RVPHTC was recently awarded $3.7 million in funding by HRSA. The award provides funding from July of 2022 through June of 2026, and will help the center expand its goal to increase the supply, diversity, and capacity of the public health workforce.