In a new special issue of Health Affairs, researchers from the Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University Indianapolis have provided research and policy perspectives focused on reimagining public health.
In the article, “When Money Is Not Enough: Reimagining Public Health Requires Systematic Solutions To Hiring Barriers,” Valerie Yeager, professor of health policy and management, describes what is known about the issues public health departments face during the hiring process. She explains how public health workforce is central to public health infrastructure yet has experienced underfunding and workforce shortages for years. Over 80,000 additional workers are needed in the US to provide foundational public health services. Yeager details what is required to close the workforce gaps including reviewing hiring processes and offering more competitive salaries.
“Budget-related and non-budget-related hiring barriers must be addressed if governmental public health is to close workforce gaps,” said Yeager. “Significant issues remain to be addressed if meaningful change is to happen.”
Additionally, Yeager coauthored “Ohio Presents Opportunities For Understanding Hospital Alignment With Public Health Agencies On Community Health Assessments,” which details how nonprofit hospitals and local health departments can improve alignment to achieve improved health and meet community needs.
A third article, “Indiana’s Public Health Investment Holds Insights For Other States,” led by Nir Menachemi, interim dean and professor, recounts how Indiana achieved a 1500 percent increase in public health funding and outlines a framework that could be replicated by other states.
“An important lesson that we learned was the deliberate uncoupling of the benefits of public health from partisan narratives,” said Menachemi.
Both Menachemi and Yeager will participate in a virtual webinar on June 5, at 1pm, describing their work and recommendations for the future.
Menachemi will join the Health Affairs podcast, A Health Podyssey, on June 18 to discuss in greater detail the work done to increase public health funding in Indiana and how other states can replicate this work.
All articles can be found in the June 2024 issue of Health Affairs.