The Elements of Public Health Workforce - Essay Example

 In achieving this goal, public health agencies work hand in hand with public and private organizations to ensure that the public health workforce is trained, skilled, prepared, and value professionalism.

The healthcare team encompasses of physicians, nurses, dentists, midwives, and public safety professionals (Gebbie, Merrill & Tilson, 2002, 57.). The article made by Gebbie & Turnock (2006) relates the size, composition, and distribution of the public health workforce in the community (p. 923). The production and maintenance of the workforce is still a significant issue despite the latest dimensions of readiness and preparation also taking center stage. The policy concerns the assessment of the health workforce and its necessities, progress efforts, and public health practice and competencies.

The development of the public health workforce since the year 2001 results from increased monetary funds and focuses more on terrorism, public health threats, and emergency and disaster management which had led to increased training, continuing education, and employment to enhance the public health workforce competencies (Gebbie & Turnock, 2006, 923). According to Thacker in 2009, the investments enhance the competency edge of acute needs of the people rather than systematic approaches (p. 109). For instance, the focus was given to the development of the basic public health infrastructure like control of infectious disease, maternal and child health, environmental health, chronic disease, and disease and injury prevention.

In contrast, the public health workforce finds it hard and deteriorating because of a fast-growing population globally. Hence, the Task Force for Public Health Workforce Development builds up new techniques in addressing the issue to advance the health workforce's progress. The workforce identifies competencies and develops curricula; monitors the current health workforce team and project needs; designs integrated different learning systems; uses incentives to promote public health practice competencies; conducts and supports evaluation and research; and ensures financial support for the learning system (Thacker, 2009, 109).

The project offers cooperation with the community people to provide training, using digital technology platforms that require minimal training, are cost-effective, and allows logging on anywhere there is internet access. As a result, community partners and participants of continuing education through distance learning showed increased knowledge and competency and had positive feedback about the online training (Demers, Ebin & Mamary, 2011, 64).