Welcome (back) to The Public Health Workforce is Not OK
So glad that you've found us (again)
🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day in the United States! I’m celebrating by building an independent platform for sharing my writing. 🇺🇸
Since Summer 2022, I have been a contributing columnist at JPHMP Direct, where I have been publishing a series about the Public Health Workforce in the US. I have been sharing what it has been like to work on the public health frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these experiences have changed me forever. I continued to share lessons about the changing public health workforce and the developments in our sector, with the goal of generating constructive dialogue towards the nurturing and reinvention of the public health workforce. I particularly focussed on the experiences of public health professionals in the employment market as we search for new #publichealthjobs.
Clearly, I ended up hitting a nerve! I have been most gratified by the enthusiastic and supportive responses to my publications. This column has generated some illuminating and energetic conversations within our private discussion group on LinkedIn at the Public Health Connections Lounge.
One year later, it’s time to grow and venture out on my own, in order to share my opinions from an independent platform. So here on Substack, I will continue the series of The Public Health Workforce is Not OK with new instalments of original material, and let’s find new ways to continue the constructive dialogue. I’m learning as I go along, so please do not hesitate to get in touch and share tips.
Welcome (back?)
So, welcome to the conversation! Whether you are a public health professional who has been an active member of the public health workforce for many years, or an early career public health professional still trying to find your lucky break into our sector, I welcome you and hope that you will find this column relevant and supportive.
Why is it called “The Public Health Workforce is Not OK”?
“Insufficient funding for public health programs has been a long-standing problem. The COVID-19 crisis illuminated weaknesses in the nation’s public health infrastructure, including antiquated data systems, insufficient public health laboratory capacity, an under-resourced public health workforce, and the need for improved public health communications. These foundational public health capacities require increased, flexible, and sustained funding.” Trust for America’s Health
BUT I believe that better is possible! That is why I am here to work towards nurturing and reimagining what the public health workforce will become next. Please join me here and on LinkedIn if you think we could be doing better too.
What topics have you already covered on The Public Health Workforce is Not OK?
Over the last year, I have been writing about the challenges of what it is currently like to be a part of the public health workforce and/or trying to break into it. I have offered my analysis and observations of current trends within our sector (eg ghosting, ugh!) and offered career advice for people seeking to develop their future in public health.
One of the hallmarks of my writing is that I seek to take an approach of radical transparency in sharing information about my own job search in public health, both quantitative data and qualitative experiences. By sharing information normally kept private, I hope to break down barriers and support others in a similar position to feel less alone.
In the next instalment, I will review and revisit some of the themes established in my earlier reviews of the public health workforce, before moving forward with new material. If you can’t wait, see here for more details.
Coming up soon on The Public Health Workforce is Not OK:
I will continue to offer:
solidarity and support to other public health professionals engaged in the job search, by sharing qualitative and quantitative data from my own experiences and deriving lessons learned;
career advice for public health professionals; and
strategic advice for public health employers seeking to build their workforce;
space for constructive dialogue about how to nurture and rebuild the public health workforce.
I also have many more ideas for discussing themes relevant to the public health workforce. Please contact me directly if you would like to suggest feedback or new topics for me to cover.