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For the people; Public health care workers in demand

By Tribune Media Services, Source: Tribune Media Services

The United States is facing a public health employment shortage. According to a recent study, more than 250,000 additional public health workers would be needed nationwide over the next 12 years.

“Tackling the health implications of tobacco use, heart disease, obesity and physical inactivity, not to mention the threat of globally spreading infectious diseases, depends entirely on the availability of a well-trained public health workforce,” said Dr. Linda Rosenstock, chair of the Association of Schools of Public Health Workforce Taskforce. “Unless we act now to recruit and train an additional 250,000 public health professionals, we will soon be ill-equipped to identify looming public health crises and respond decisively.”

In order to address these significant shortages, ASPH calls for an increased federal investment in public health education and training in addition to coordination of a centralized effort to understand current and future workforce needs.

“An appropriate number of well-trained public health professionals is critical in order to safeguard the health of our nation and our world,” said Dr. Harrison Spencer, president and CEO of ASPH. “Our government and our schools of public health play a critical role in preventing the forecasted shortage.”

Additionally, the report indicates that increased recruitment, training and fellowship programs, financial aid assistance and expanded graduate-level opportunities are among the most urgent needs for averting the looming shortfall. According to the study, schools of public health will have to graduate three times as many public health workers over the next 12 years in order to meet national healthcare needs in 2020.

© 2009, Tribune Media Services