New AJPH Supplement: Latest PH WINS Report Shows Public Health Workers' Commitment to Communities While Highlighting Workforce Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
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The state of the public health workforce directly impacts communities’ ability to maintain good health. In the midst of changes to health policy, funding, research and key public health infrastructure, workers are advocating for more support to ensure the needs of communities across the nation and U.S. territories are met. A new AJPH supplement, Findings from the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), shares the experiences workers must endure to address health issues and needs. The need for training in roles like epidemiology, investing more in education and how benefits like flexible work arrangements and caregiving resources would improve retention are just a few of the many findings in the survey.

“This supplement offers the most comprehensive look yet at today’s government public health workforce, with articles that deeply explore critical issues shaping the field, including rural health, epidemiological capacity, education, burnout, and what it takes for public health workers to thrive,” said Rachel Hare Bork, Director of PH WINS at the de Beaumont Foundation. “We hope these findings encourage policymakers, funders, and public health leaders to make sustained investments in the workforce, data systems, and infrastructure needed to protect and improve health in every community.” 

Ten years after the survey first launched, the 2024 PH WINS cycle includes data from U.S. territories and freely associated states through the PH WINS Islands Pilot, bringing awareness of experiences that have not been previously recorded in national data. While workers in these territories plan to continue their careers, the public health sector still faces distinct retention pressures such as limited labor pools, training pathways and the costly process of relying on recruitment outside the locale or temporary staffing to fill vital specialized roles. 

Like the territories, rural local health departments have particular challenges in recruiting top talent and competing with the private sector. “Across the U.S., including the mainland and the islands, we saw enormous turnover associated with COVID. Almost half the workforce has been in the public health field for five years or less,” said JP Leider, co-editor of the AJPH supplement and director of the Center for Public Health Systems at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “The question now is how we can keep talented practitioners in the workforce, while also recruiting the next generation as the last of the baby boomers begin to retire.” Other findings show how health departments are dealing with the needs of rural populations. Increased responsibilities and having to work across multiple program areas are weighing on workers, leading them to contemplate whether they will stay in their role within the next year, bringing attention to the mental health load and burnout they have to navigate. 

Read the extensive findings of the supplement here.

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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.

The de Beaumont Foundation creates and invests in bold solutions that improve the health of communities across the country. Its mission is to advance policy, build partnerships, and strengthen public health to create communities where everyone can achieve their best possible health. For more information, visit www.debeaumont.org.

Funding Statement: This work is supported by funds made available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, through OE22-2203: Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems grant. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.