250665 Public Health Competencies: A Decade of Progress

Monday, October 31, 2011: 10:30 AM

Joan Cioffi, PhD, MS , Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
This presentation is part of a panel discussion and focuses on more than a decade of progress in U.S.A. and Canada in defining core competencies for public health professionals. The session reviews efforts by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Practice's Core Competencies for Public Health Practice, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the United Kingdom's Health Services system to define and validate competency requirements for public health practice. Similarities and differences in methods and products are discussed. Results of dissemination and adoption of these respective competency frameworks is summarized. Examples of additional competency definition activities for public health professionals are reviewed including applied epidemiology, informatics, public health law, and public health preparedness and response. Other factors influencing adoption and use of competency frameworks are discussed including Healthy People Objectives (USA) and accreditation standards for public health agencies (PHAB) and schools and programs of public health (CEPH).

Learning Areas:
Public health or related education
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Compare and contrast approaches to the development of competency frameworks for public health practice in North America Describe the benefits of implementing competency standards in public health practice and academic settings Recognize the importance of influencing adoption of competency standards through policy, national accreditation and certification systems, and professional associations/membership groups.

Keywords: Competency, Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice Core Competency Work Groups (2001-2009), USA
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.