Meeting the Public Health Workforce’s Training Priorities in Georgia and the Southeast

Background: The mission of the Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC) is to build knowledge and skills in the public health workforce in the eight states of HHS Region IV by providing competency-based training. Workforce training needs are changing quickly and dramatically in light of new developments in public health practice and science, emerging diseases, changes in the health care environment, and the growing emphasis on inter-professional practice. Additionally, a 2014 survey conducted by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) found that at least 38% of the current public health workforce plans to retire by 2020. Therefore, it is increasingly crucial to prepare upcoming managers for leadership positions and to train entry-level workers to assume more advanced roles. Methods: To address current and emerging training needs in Georgia and the southeast, the R-IV PHTC continually identifies emerging priorities and effective training approaches. It explores training needs through a review of formal needs assessments, key stakeholder interviews, surveys of targeted audiences, informal partner communications, and training evaluation data. An interactive component of the GPHA session allowed participants to identify and discuss their own professional training needs. Results: Workforce development needs assessments data across several southeastern states identified recurring training needs for professionals in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the Council on Linkages Core Competency domains for Analytical/Assessment Skills and Financial Planning/Management. In Georgia, top competency training needs gathered from a variety of assessment methods included Cultural Competency, Communication, Financial Planning/Management, Public Health Science, and Leadership/Systems Thinking. Participants in the workshop’s interactive component expressed highest personal need for training in Financial Planning/Management, Analytical/Assessment Skills, and Policy Development/Program Planning. However, for others in their organizations, they identified a priority need for leadership training. Conclusions: The R-IV PHTC assesses training needs and provides training resources to respond to current and emerging public health workforce development needs in Georgia and the southeast

A Region-Wide Field Placement Program Built on the Foundation of Mentorship and Professionalism

Background: The Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC) provides public health students from the eight states of HHS Region IV with essential practice experiences that demonstrate the value of working with underserved populations. The Pathways to Practice Scholars field placement program is built on a foundation of mentorship, professionalism, and community. Methods: Sixteen student scholars (13 graduate; 3 undergraduate) were selected to work during May-August 2015 in practiceoriented agencies serving underserved populations. Each scholar received a $1500 living allowance. Seven of 16 accepted an internship outside the state of their university. In conjunction with mentors, Scholars developed work plans based on Council on Linkages Core Competency domains. Requirements included a pre-, mid- and post-assessment, an executive summary/reflection, and a virtual webinar presentation. Results: Student Scholars worked at sites across eight states in state or local health departments, Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), and healthcare settings. Students identified Core Competency domains they developed most during the field placement: Communication, Analytical/Assessment, Leadership/Systems Thinking, and Community Engagement. The R-IV PHTC asked mentors to treat interns as valued employees and include them in activities beyond their specific project. Indicators of successful mentorship included expressed appreciation for student assistance and the desire to enrich the student experience while benefiting the agency mission. Mentors provided clearly defined projects for a short timeframe (10-12 weeks), adjusted to the students’ capacity and readiness, and offered opportunities to apply classroom skills to practice. They helped students develop immediately useful products in collaboration with community stakeholders. Conclusions: Mentors play a crucial role in the development and success of field placement students, but students and mentors share equal responsibility in fostering the relationship. Past case studies from this program demonstrate that some students find employment in these same agencies after graduation, and become mentors for future students, thus, creating a self-perpetuating learning community

Enhancing the Future Public Health Workforce Through Competency-Based Student Field Placements

Background: The Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs (PHWINS) 2014 survey from ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials) demonstrated a dramatic need for succession planning and retention of the future public health workforce. To address this need, the Region IV Public Health Training Center’s (R-IV PHTC) Pathways to Practice Scholars Program places students from accredited schools and programs of public health into practical field placement positions across eight states. Skill- and competency-based student field placements reinforce the value of working with medically underserved areas/populations (MUA/Ps) through public health agencies. Field placements use adult learning theory through experiential learning to build essential skills from the Council on Linkage (COL) core competencies. Methods: Host agencies include state and local health departments, Area Health Education Centers, primary care settings, and community organizations in one of eight southeastern states serving MUA/Ps. Agencies propose practical projects using COL domains. Proposals are converted to job postings. Once an agency selects a student, the team collaboratively develops a detailed work plan using specific COL competencies. Results: A brief overview of evaluation findings will be shared but are not the focus of this workshop. Evaluation instruments included a pre-survey, work plan, mid-term survey, final evaluation, and alumni survey. Students submit a final report, reflection summary, webinar presentation and/or abstract worthy of submission to a professional conference. Findings demonstrated increases in students’ perceived ability to perform core competencies and future plans to work in MUA/Ps. Conclusions: This program builds leadership and real-world experience in the future workforce while serving immediate needs of public health agencies. The workshop focuses on interactive discussion about processes and tools to create COL competencybased field placement position descriptions and detailed work plans. Participants can engage in dialogue about developing student positions which enhance their work while training the future workforce

Helping Public Health Professionals Access Infectious Disease Trainings and Resources: The Region IV PHTC Infectious Diseases Training Database

Background: The Region IV Public Health Training Center (R-IV PHTC), located at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, has a mission that includes providing training and educational offerings to strengthen the competency of the current public health workforce in HHS Region IV (which includes GA). Additionally, the R-IV PHTC has been charged with serving as a national resource in the area of infectious disease. To fulfill this charge, the R-IV PHTC conducted an environmental scan to identify and increase access to existing infectious disease trainings and resources currently available to the public health workforce. Methods: From June 2015 – February 2016, the R-IV PHTC systematically reviewed infectious disease-related trainings developed by credible organizations between 2011-2015. We reviewed the websites and learning management systems of 73 different organizations including but not limited to the TrainFinder Real-time Affiliated Integrated Network (TRAIN), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and other PHTCs. Trainings were identified utilizing several search terms including infectious disease, vaccination, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), Ebola, measles, etc. Results: Altogether, the R-IV PHTC identified over 500 training programs and resources in our designated content area of Infectious Disease developed by other public health organizations between 2011-2015. The final trainings are available in an easy-to-use searchable database and can be filtered by sponsor, title, year, provision of continuing education credits, addressed competencies, cost, length, infectious disease category, and modality. The database will be updated at least once yearly to ensure currency. Conclusions: This poster will describe the methodology that the R-IV PHTC used to conduct an environmental scan of infectious diseases trainings. In addition, the poster will explain how to locate and access infectious disease trainings in one database on the R-IV PHTC website using a variety of search filters

Discharge characteristics at bioswale installation sites along I-294 in northern Cook County, Illinois

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The effects of bioswale construction on groundwater adjacent to I-294 in northern Cook County, Illinois

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Using bioswales to improve the quality of roadway runoff from I-294 in northern Cook County, Illinois

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Reductions in turbidity and specific conductivity in runoff treated by bioswales along I-294 in northern Cook County, Illinois

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Role of genetic testing for inherited prostate cancer risk: Philadelphia prostate cancer consensus conference 2017

Purpose: Guidelines are limited for genetic testing for prostate cancer (PCA). The goal of this conference was to develop an expert consensus-dri