• Successful New Employee Orientation (NEO) designed to establish a health equity as the foundation of public health work

The presenter will describe a new employee orientation (NEO) approach used at the WA State Department of Health. The NEO includes a session on health equity as the foundation of public health. NEOs are offered twice a month for all new hires at the Department of Health, regardless of their roles and responsibilities. The orientation is intended to help build an understanding of the mission and work the department performs, and to help employees make the link between their daily job functions and the overall agency mission and vision. All new employees are scheduled to attend on their first day of work. Objectives of the health equity presentation are: (1) Increase awareness of health equity and the social determinants of health as the foundation for public health, and (2) Learn about current health equity resources within the department. Participants engage in a number of interactive exercises to test their assumptions about social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to health. They also learn about effective non-traditional partnerships that contribute to improved health outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations. Based on six-months of evaluations, participants scored presentations between 4.6 and 4.7 out of 5 for relevance to employment, help to be more successful as a new employee, instructor enjoyable and engaging, and instructor knowledgeable about their topics. The orientation has been such a success that existing employees will be invited to attend because they have asked to be included.