Mission
To improve the performance of individuals and organizations within public health by: Fostering, coordinating, and monitoring collaboration among the academic, public health practice, and healthcare communities; Promoting public health education and training for health professionals throughout their careers; and Developing and advancing innovative strategies to build and strengthen public health infrastructure
Values
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Focus on the Future
- People and Partners
- Creativity and Innovation
- Results and Creating Value
- Health Equity
- Accountability
- Public Responsibility and Citizenship
- Community Engagement
Objectives
- Foster collaborations between academia and practice within the field of public health and between public health and healthcare professionals and organizations.
- Enhance public health practice-oriented education and training.
- Support the development of a diverse, highly skilled, and motivated public health workforce with the competence and tools to succeed.
- Promote and strengthen the evidence base for public health practice.
Objectives, Strategies, & Tactics
Objective A. Foster collaborations between academia and practice within the field of public health and between public health and healthcare professionals and organizations.
- Strategy 1: Promote the development of collaborations between academia and practice within public health.
- Tactics:
a. Support the development, maintenance, and expansion of academic health department partnerships through the Academic Health Department Learning Community.
b. Document and disseminate progress in academic/practice collaboration and the impact of that collaboration in public health.
c. Document contributions of Council on Linkages member organizations, individually and collectively, to improving public health performance through implementation of the Council on Linkages’ Strategic Directions.
d. Coordinate with other national initiatives, such as the Public Health Infrastructure Grant program, to improve public health performance through the implementation of the Council on Linkages’ Strategic Directions.
e. Learn from and share with other countries and global health organizations strategies for strengthening the public health workforce.
- Strategy 2: Promote the development of collaborations between public health and healthcare professionals and organizations.
- Tactics:
a. Review the Competencies for Population Health Professionals for potential modification. b. Encourage the inclusion of healthcare professionals and organizations in academic health department partnerships.
c. Document and highlight progress being made in public health/healthcare collaboration and the impact of that collaboration.
Objective B. Enhance public health practice-oriented education and training.
- Strategy 1: Develop and support the use of consensus-based competencies relevant to public health practice.
- Tactics:
a. Review the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals every three years for possible revision.b. Develop and disseminate tools and training to assist individuals and organizations with implementing and integrating the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals into education and training.
c. Work with the Council on Education for Public Health to encourage the use of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and academic/practice partnerships by schools and programs of public health.
d. Work with the National Board of Public Health Examiners to encourage the use of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals in the Certified in Public Health credentialing program.
e. Contribute to the development and measurement of Healthy People objectives related to public health infrastructure.
f. Identify and advance opportunities for using the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals in the education and training of health professionals and other professionals who impact health.
- Strategy 2: Encourage the development of quality training for public health professionals.
- Strategy 3: Promote public health practice-based learning.
Objective C. Support the development of a diverse, highly skilled, and motivated public health workforce with the competence and tools to succeed.
- Strategy 1: Develop a comprehensive plan for ensuring an effective public health workforce.
- Tactics:
a. Support the use of evidence in recruitment and retention strategies for the public health workforce.b. Use existing data to better understand the composition and competencies of the public health workforce.
c. Identify additional data needed to support the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan for the public health workforce.
d. Participate in the Public Health Accreditation Board’s workforce development, quality improvement, and performance management activities to encourage the use of Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals and academic/practice partnerships by health departments.
e. Participate in, facilitate, and/or convene efforts to develop a national strategic or action plan for public health workforce development and monitor progress.
- Strategy 2: Define the training and life-long learning needs of the public health workforce, identify gaps in training, and explore mechanisms to address these gaps.
- Strategy 3: Provide access to and assistance with using tools to enhance competence.
- Tactics:
a. Develop and disseminate tools and training to assist individuals and organizations with implementing and integrating the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals into practice.b. Assist individuals and organizations with using tools and training to implement and integrate the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals into practice.
c. Encourage the use of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals as a foundation for the development of discipline-specific and interprofessional competencies.
d. Assist with developing, refining, and implementing discipline-specific and interprofessional competencies aligned with the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals.
e. Assist other countries and global health organizations with developing and using public health competencies.
- Strategy 4: Demonstrate the value of public health in achieving a culture of health.
- Tactics:
a. Document contributions of the various professions within public health to achieving healthy communities.b. Describe the unique contributions that public health professionals can bring to health systems transformation.
c. Encourage public health professionals to engage other professions and sectors in developing strategies for achieving healthy communities.
d. Document how public health research can and does contribute to achieving healthy communities.
e. Participate in, facilitate, and/or conduct a profile study of the public health workforce.
Objective D. Promote and strengthen the evidence base for public health practice.
- Strategy 1: Support efforts to further public health practice research, including public health systems and services research (PHSSR).
- Tactics:
a. Identify gaps in data and opportunities for improving data for conducting research relevant to practice.b. Identify emerging needs for public health practice research to support health systems transformation.
c. Collaborate with other national efforts to help build capacity for and promote public health practice research.
d. Convene potential funders to increase financial support for public health practice research.
e. Assess progress related to public health practice research.
- Strategy 2: Support the translation of research into public health practice.
- Strategy 3: Encourage the engagement of public health practitioners in contributing to the public health evidence base.
Adopted September 18,2023
Click here to download a PDF version of the Council on Linkages' Strategic Directions, 2016-2020.