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Council on Linkages -
March 2013 Meeting Summary
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The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages) held its first meeting of 2013 this week on March 27th. Nearly 50 Council on Linkages members and friends participated in this conference call meeting, learning about the latest progress on Council on Linkages initiatives and helping to guide future efforts. |
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| Council on Linkages Initiates Revision Process for the Core Competencies
During the meeting, the Council on Linkages voted to initiate the process of reviewing and potentially revising the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies). In its Strategic Directions, 2011-2015, the Council on Linkages committed to reviewing the Core Competencies for possible revision every three years. Since the current set of Core Competencies were approved in May 2010, many changes have occurred in the field of public health, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act, decreases in health department budgets and workforce, and an increasing focus on coordination of public health and healthcare. The Council on Linkages has begun gathering input from the public health community and believes the timing is appropriate to consider the Core Competencies in light of these changes. Over the coming months, public health professionals will have numerous opportunities to provide feedback on the Core Competencies that will help determine whether or not revisions are needed. Initial comments are invited through the Shape the Future of the Public Health Workforce with Your Comments on the Core Competencies post on the PHF Pulse blog. |
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National Efforts Aim to Strengthen Public Health Workforce Development Planning
Since the fall of 2012, the Council on Linkages, under contract from the Health Resources and Services Administration (Contract No. HHSH250201100031C), has been collecting information on the workforce development activities of its member organizations. To date, 16 Council on Linkages member organizations have participated, providing workforce development information related to strategic plans, training, learning management systems, data, recruitment and retention, tools and systems, research, and advocacy. Information collected is being analyzed and can contribute to workforce development planning activities and public health workforce strategic planning. Strategic workforce development is also a focus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which held a Public Health Workforce Summit in December 2012 and is developing a report on findings from that meeting. |
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Academic Health Department Learning Community Continues Rapid Growth
The Academic Health Department (AHD) Learning Community has grown steadily since its launch in January 2011. Membership is currently nearing 250 public health and primary care professionals, exceeding initial expectations, and the Council on Linkages is considering how to best meet the diverse needs and interests present within the group. Initial actions include planning for several meetings in May to introduce new members to AHD concepts and the AHD Learning Community and conducting a needs assessment to identify activities, topics, and resources of interest to members. Additional activities being explored include establishing subgroups to address topics of interest, enhancing the AHD Learning Community Profiles to better facilitate connections, hosting in-person meetings at multiple national events, developing a case story of successful collaboration, and establishing a mentorship program. Comments on these ideas or additional suggestions are welcome by email to Kathleen Amos at kamos@phf.org. |
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In Other Business... - The Council on Linkages welcomed Marlene Wilken, PhD, RN of Creighton University and Patrick Lenihan, PhD of the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago as the new representatives for the National Association of Local Boards of Health and the National Network of Public Health Institutes, respectively.
- The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has requested preliminary membership in the Council on Linkages. Council on Linkages member organizations will have an opportunity to vote on this request in the near future.
- The Council on Linkages is recruiting for a Project Analyst. Full details can be found in the position announcement on the Public Health Foundation's website.
- The National Institutes of Health has released a request for information on the FY 2013-2018 Strategic Plan for its Office of Disease Prevention. Comments may be submitted online through April 14, 2013.
- Scheduling an in-person Council on Linkages meeting has proven difficult, but Council staff is hopeful such a meeting will occur later this summer.
Additional information about the meeting, including the agenda and other meeting materials, is available on the meeting webpage. |
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Activities of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice are supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Questions and comments may be emailed to Council on Linkages Project Manager
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