The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) identified a CHWS study was as the third most downloaded paper of 2023. The article titled, “Competencies, training needs, and turnover among rural compared with urban local public health practitioners: 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey,” found that rural health departments have access to less funding, fewer staff, and less training than their urban counterparts. While rural communities are becoming more diverse, rural health department staff reported skill gaps and need training in data-based decision making and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Investments are needed to strengthen public health departments in rural communities. Additional findings are summarized in an infographic developed by the de Beaumont Foundation and discussed in an accompanying editorial in AJPH.
This study was led by CHWS researchers Paula Kett, Davis Patterson, and Betty Bekemeier along with Kay Schaffer from the de Beaumont Foundation with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration through the CHWS Health Workforce Research Center on Allied Health.