2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

321308
Lessons Learned: Workforce Assessment at CDPH


Monday, November 2, 2015

Rebecca Rapport, MPH, Community Engagement, Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment, Denver, CO
Developing and nurturing a workplace culture that encourages all team members to do their best is a top goal at the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). To accomplish this, CDPH implemented a department-wide workforce assessment to analyze strengths and challenges as part of the Public Health Accreditation Board Process. Results will inform and improve ongoing workforce development programs and future accreditation-related assessments.

The assessment was designed to measure satisfaction in 10 different domains related to public health competencies. Eight domains came from the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice’s Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. The survey tool was disseminated to all 612 CDPH employees through Learning Management System (LMS) software. The MidAmerica Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Illinois Chicago assisted in assessment development and data collection. The data was evaluated using basic descriptive statistics. The average ranking of confidence level in competencies by domain was found using means. Visual examination of side-by-side tables was used to compare competency and domain confidence levels.

The response rate was 41.6% based on 255 of 612 employees completing at least one question from the CDPH workforce assessment. Based on the domains with lowest confidence level, the greatest needs for workforce trainings identified for employees are in the areas of Organizational Effectiveness, Financial Planning & Management, and Public Health Sciences Skills.

While employees generally ranked their confidence in the competencies average or above average, there is opportunity for improvement. Further research is needed for a more rigorous analysis of differences between tiers or of competency rankings. Results of this survey should be used to inform future workforce development plans. Considerations should be made regarding assessment design and implementation to increase response rates and enhance understanding and generalizability of workforce needs in the future.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Describe methods to assess Core Competencies of Public Health at health departments. Compare assessment processes and structures of health departments. Identify recommendations for improving confidence in the Core Competencies in the health department setting.

Keyword(s): Workforce Development, Workforce

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication from The Ohio State University. I currently work for the Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment as the Program Assistant. In this role, I provide support for administrative and programmatic functions related community engagement projects. I have previous experience with CBPR, health departments, and clinical research.
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.

Back to: 3301.1: Health Administration Posters: Special Session