A decade of progress: Core competencies for public health practice in North and South America - USA Experience

This session's presentations review the development and implementation of core competencies for public health practice in various settings. Issues of dissemination, adoption and evaluation will be discussed. The development of core competencies requires building consensus among stakeholders and a commitment to adoption and use by constituent groups. Progress is often slow but has been accelerated in the Americas during the past decade. The results from three perspectives will be provided as well as opportunities for accelerating knowledge transfer among collaborating partners in North and South America.This presentation describes the development and implementation of core competencies for public health practice over the past decade in the USA. A brief historical context is provided for the work performed in the USA by the Council on Linkages which resulted in the publication of Core Competencies for Public Health Practice in 2001. Highlights are presented concerning the adoption and/or adaptation of the competencies by a broad range of stakeholders including schools of public health, nursing, federal, state and local public health agencies and other professional organizations. Lessons learned from dissemination and revision processes are included. The importance of the Healthy People 2010 (public health infrastructure objectives) in stimulating stakeholder interest and follow up action is reviewed. Updates on the COL core competency revision in 2009, new Healthy People 2020 objectives (proposed) and opportunities for innovative practices in the next decade are presented.