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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Aleshia Hall-Campbell, MPH, TN Public Health Workforce Development Consortium, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 66 N. Pauline, Suite 463, Memphis, TN 38163, 901-448-3026, ahall18@utmem.edu and David Mirvis, MD, The Center for Health Services Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 66 N. Pauline, Suite 463, Memphis, TN 38163.

After September 11, 2001, the Tennessee Department of Health recognized the need to enhance its workforce to meet the challenges of threats posed by newly emerging diseases and bioterrorism. Thus, the Tennessee Public Health Workforce Development Consortium was created. This concept is an interorganizational collaboration in Tennessee which brought together, for the first time, efforts by the Tennessee Department of Health, East Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

This joint curricular venture was designed to enhance the capabilities of the Tennessee Department of Health's staff to meet current and future public health challenges. The Consortium strives to meet this goal through the establishment of graduate certificate programs in critical areas of public health disciplines identified by the Department of Health, which include epidemiology, public health leadership, and health care management. Courses are designed to be accepted as full graduate credit by partnering universities' MPH programs.

Courses utilize distance education methods to allow students to participate with minimum disruption from work and without travel requirements. Students enroll at one of the partnering universities, and may take courses taught by faculty at other campuses in the program. Furthermore, the Consortium provides funding for tuition, fees, and course materials for approved participants.

To date, 95 employees have completed at least one semester of graduate coursework, and 12 employees have completed the Applied Epidemiology certificate. As students complete certificate programs, the Consortium plans to develop an online MPH program to foster continuing graduate education.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the learner will be able to

• Identify the components of a joint curricular venture;
• Examine the concept of the Tennessee Public Health Workforce Development Consortium; and
• Assess the impact the Tennessee Public Health Workforce Development Consortium’s program has had on current and former participants.

Keywords: Certificate Program, Workforce

Related Web page: www.utmem.edu/tnconsortium

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation