Composition of the Public Health Workforce: Distribution, Training, and Tenure.

Objective: Describe the public health and job experience of the local public health workforce at the agency level and based on the characteristics of the jurisdictions they serve.

Design: Cross-sectional design of U.S.

Racial and Ethnic Representation of the Local Public Health Workforce.

To describe racial and ethnic representativeness of the local health department (LHD) workforce compared with the populations served. In this study, we used a cross-sectional design of the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, 2019 National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile data, and other sources to estimate the racial and ethnic representativeness of LHD workforce. We calculated representativeness as a binary measure of at least representative of the populations served for each race and ethnicity group.

Factors Affecting Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Public Health Preparedness and Response.

Context: There is limited research on what factors are most salient to implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) among public health agencies in public health emergency preparedness and response (PHPR) and under what conditions EBP implementation will occur.

Objective: This study assessed the conditions, barriers, and enablers affecting EBP implementation among the PHPR practice community and identified opportunities to support EBP implementation.

Design: A Web-based survey gathered information from public health agencies.

Identifying and Prioritizing Information Needs and Research Priorities of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Practitioners.

Objective: This study describes findings from an assessment conducted to identify perceived knowledge gaps, information needs, and research priorities among state, territorial, and local public health preparedness directors and coordinators related to public health emergency preparedness and response (PHPR). The goal of the study was to gather information that would be useful for ensuring that future funding for research and evaluation targets areas most critical for advancing public health practice.

Methods: We implemented a mixed-methods approach to identify and prioritize PHPR research questions.

Local Health Departments as Clinical Safety Net in Rural Communities.

Introduction: The appropriate role of local health departments (LHDs) as a clinical service provider remains a salient issue. This study examines differences in clinical service provision among rural/urban LHDs for early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) and prenatal care services.

Methods: Data collected from the 2013 National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile of Local Health Departments Survey was used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis of rural/urban differences in clinical service provision by LHDs.