A strong public health workforce is vital to protecting the health of all Iowans. As an interdisciplinary field, the public health workforce contains a wide variety of sectors, occupations, and types of professionals, and thus a variety of professional development needs are present. There are also varying needs for different types of partnerships, funding streams, and other supports. Regardless of sector or occupation, supports for the public health workforce need to be in place to achieve Iowa’s public health goals.
A Strong Public Health Workforce
Investing in People Who Protect Our Communities.
The Backbone of Public Health in Iowa
IPHA is Taking on 21st Century Challenges By:
- Partnering with the University of Iowa to convene Iowa’s Workforce Development Coalition
- Supporting the mental health and wellness of the public health workforce through a combination of individual and interpersonal wellness strategies, strengthened public health leadership, policy, and advocacy
- Convening stakeholders about public health and direct care stress, burnout, compassion fatigue and other topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Measuring local public health system capacity in Iowa
- Advocating for increased levels of funding for county-level public health agencies and programs focused on improving Iowans health and safety
- Offering training and educational opportunities around health equity, social determinants of health, and other Public Health 3.0 principles
- Collaborating with all of Iowa’s academic public health training programs
- Connecting new graduates and others to enhanced opportunities for networking and public health jobs in Iowa