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Omar Khalid, ASTHO’s Director of Workforce, explains new strategies for enhancing workforce well-being and retention; Brianna Gorman, ASTHO’s Clinical to Community Connections team member, says community health workers are a key connection between...
Omar Khalid, ASTHO’s Director of Workforce, explains new strategies for enhancing workforce well-being and retention; Brianna Gorman, ASTHO’s Clinical to Community Connections team member, says community health workers are a key connection between policy interventions and what’s happening on the ground; and sign up for ASTHO’s Public Health Weekly email newsletters.
ASTHO Webpage: PH-HERO Workforce Resource Center
ASTHO Webpage: State Policies Bolster Investment in Community Health Workers
ASTHO Webpage: Public Health Weekly email newsletters
ROBERT JOHNSON:
This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, July 24, 2023. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
OMAR KHALID:
We've put out a formal package of recommendations around workforce retention and well-being.
JOHNSON:
ASTHO's Omar Khalid talking about a new technical package of workforce strategies meant to help agencies address employee burnout, retention, and moral injury.
KHALID:
These recommendations were made directly as a result of the PH data that gave us really firsthand a close look at what the survey respondents and public health agencies were dealing with in the middle of the COVID response.
JOHNSON:
The recommendations are grouped into four key focus areas.
KHALID:
They are: effective managers, workplace culture, supported workforce, and adequate staffing. And for each area, we've identified several specific recommendations and potential measures that can drive improvement in that area.
JOHNSON:
Khalid is hopeful the package will help ASTHO members as they work to rebuild their teams post pandemic.
KHALID:
Ideally, agencies can review these recommendations and see where their current resources and interests align really well for some quick and sustainable wins. But of course, they'll also have to look into some of the more difficult ones to see where obstacles might exist in their agencies so they can start to think strategically about ways to get around them or dress them in a different way.
JOHNSON:
Khalid and others have written an article about the technical package in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The link is in the show notes.
Community health workers are critical members of the public health team. ASTHO's Brianna Gorman says they also are the subject of numerous policy initiatives.
BRIANNA GORMAN:
In the current legislative cycle, Some states are focused on defining which government entities are responsible for setting certification standards. And then another state is now recognizing certifications from other states. States are also taking steps to ensure that community health workers are key stakeholders and advisors when it comes to certification standards, scope of practice, and education and training requirements.
JOHNSON:
And Gorman says there's a discussion underway about Medicaid reimbursement for services delivered by community health workers.
GORMAN:
So, this includes reimbursement for services delivered to high-risk populations, services that can be delivered by community health workers who are not under the supervision of physicians or advanced practice nurses, and then also which state Medicaid programs will support coverage costs. There are also policies focused on establishing standards for the value-based payment methods and models.
JOHNSON:
The debate highlights the importance of people who play the role. Gorman says it's essential to engage and support these frontline professionals.
GORMAN:
So, leaning in and tapping into their experiences is important for policymakers, state health agencies, so that there is a true connection between what's happening on the ground and in communities, and what should be happening with policy interventions and programs supporting health services and access to social health needs.
JOHNSON:
You can read a new ASTHO blog article about the policies under consideration. We've got the link in the show notes.
Also today, stay up to date on everything happening in public health with ASTHO's Public Health Weekly email newsletters. You can add your name to the list by clicking the link in the show notes.
Finally, this morning if you have a minute, we'd also like it if you could take the time to leave us a review. The feedback allows us to give you a better newscast each day. You can leave a rating and review in your podcast player.
That'll do it for today's newscast. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day.
