The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43799

Matthew A. Stefanak, MPH, Health Commissioner, Mahoning County District Board of Health, 50 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, OH 44515, Neil H. Altman, MPH, RS, Health Commissioner, Youngstown City Health District, Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave, Ste. 200, Youngstown, OH 44502, Diana M. Colaianni, MSN, RN, Nursing Director, Mahoning County District Board of health, 50 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, OH 44515, 330-270-2855, mstefanak@mahoning-health.org, Jane Warga, MSEd, Health Assessment Unit, Mahoning County District Board of Health, 50 Westchester Drive, Youngstown, OH 44515, and Charlotte J. Stahl, MSN, RN, Health Administrator, Youngstown City Health District, Oakhill Renaissance Place, 345 Oak Hill Ave. Ste. 200, Youngstown, OH 44502.

Development of a workforce competent in the essential public health services as stated in Healthy People 2010, is a strategic objective of both the Mahoning County District Board of Health and the Youngstown City Health District. Although the disciplines in a particular agency will vary according to the resources, policies, needs and population served, all public health employees must have certain competencies or levels of expertise. Their combined abilities enable an organization to provide essential public health services. As of January, 2001, new employees at both agencies received no formal orientation to the mission or history of public health, epidemiology or public health terminology. In addition, over 35% of employees had been employed in public health less than 5 years and most workers had no formal training in the public health sciences. Orientation was an "on the job" process. An inter-agency work team was formed under the direction of the Mahoning County Health Commissioner and the Youngstown City Health Commissioner to design and implement a new employee orientation plan. The members adopted the name, NEOPHYTE Team: New Employee Orientation to Public Health, Yesterday, Today and Everyday. The core competency-based curriculum that was developed for new employees, was also appropriate for current employees to access. Parts of the curriculum will be used for on going staff education. Administrative staff will serve as faculty. On-line programming from CDC and the Ohio Department of Health as well as videos, lectures and group discussions will be utilized.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the core competencies every public health worker should possess regardless of education or job classification.
• Develop a core competency-based curriculum for orienting new public health workers.
• Describe a timeline for completion of the orientation components.

Keywords: Core Functions, Competency

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.