Assessing health equity skills needed to work effectively within communities

The presenters will describe a pilot assessment of skills needed by public health professionals working to achieve health equity. The work was completed by members of the Health Equity Council (HEC) of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors through funding from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the assessment was to inform CDC in the development of training programs for state level public health professionals. The presenters will describe the process used in developing and administering their assessment tool. Questions for the assessment were guided by input from key informant interviews. Interviewees help with the decision about what level of public health staff to assess, whether to measure skills, attitudes or knowledge, and the format of the assessment tool. Each question was linked to a public health competency. The attendees will learn the methods of analyses; results and recommendation to CDC for a full assessment. The HEC will continue to work with the CDC to identify trainings based on the need of the public health workforce as identified by the completed assessment. This research fills the need for developing a public health work force that is competent in achieving health equity through public health practice. The participants will learn how to access the resources of the HEC, and ways to network with other professionals.