Public Health Workforce

• Inadequate staffing and high burnout have led to severe limitations in properly responding to public health emergencies and disease burden in recent years.
• In the decade before the pandemic, we saw workforce reductions of nearly 10% in state health agencies and about 16% in local health departments.
• During the pandemic, about 44% of public health workers surveyed by the CDC indicated they were thinking about leaving their job.
• Beyond crisis intervention, a limited workforce creates challenges in implementing routine preventative screenings or community programs. For example, an additional 4,500 employees are needed at the state and local levels across the nation to support access and linkage to care.

• To alleviate workforce shortages, the public health system needs sustained funding to properly recruit and retain its staff.
• The U.S. has a long history of chronic underinvestment in the public health infrastructure, leaving the federal, state, local and tribal health systems and our communities vulnerable to emerging public health threats.
• Unstable and insufficient funding for public health agencies can lead to understaffed departments and limit the health resources available to community members who need them most.
• While there was a brief infusion of public health funding in response to COVID-19, federal COVID-19 funding in the amount of $4.3 billion was rescinded in the FY24 federal appropriations bill, meaning the funds would no longer be available to pass through to state and local health departments.

• The public health workforce must remain adaptable and able to develop new skills due to the constantly evolving nature of public health threats and challenges.
• The workforce not only needs more specialized trained professionals in epidemiology, data analysis, biostatistics, health informatics, executive leadership, and policy development, but also more opportunities to develop strategic skills related to cross-sector partnerships, community engagement and communication to advance health equity.

• Community members deserve culturally competent public health professionals, like community health workers, who reflect the community they serve and can communicate information and provide services that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
• Public health workers of color tend to be underrepresented and underpaid.
• Innovative solutions to recruiting and training a diverse workforce are critical to ensure a broad range of expertise and lived experience within public health agencies.

Public Health AmeriCorps, created by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aims to train the next generation of public health leaders and address the nation's public health needs. Its goals include making a difference in local communities and creating pathways to public health careers. Members reflect the communities they serve, breaking down barriers and ensuring everyone has access to quality healthcare resources.

Public Health AmeriCorps members play a critical role in providing disease prevention education, promoting health initiatives, and supporting access to care, all of which strengthen our communities at a minimal cost. The Public Health AmeriCorps program is also significant in diversifying the public health workforce by recruiting younger and more diverse applicants.

Organizations at the state and local levels, such as Community Health Care Association of New York State and Baltimore Corps, support Public Health AmeriCorps by connecting corps members with host sites in local communities, recruiting community members with diverse backgrounds to fill gaps in the public health workforce.

Watch Orlando Reboredo of the Community Health Care Association of New York State highlight the wide range of roles filled by AmeriCorps members:

Watch Dr. Brandi Roberts of Baltimore Corps speak on the diversity of local AmeriCorps members:

CDC Public Health Infrastructure Grants built capacity for state, local, and territorial public health agencies to recruit, retain, support and train the public health workforce by providing five years of direct funding upfront and a flexible funding approach. Recognizing that evaluation is crucial for sustainability, the grants also support building an evidence base for the effectiveness of the programs. One part of this evaluation strategy is identifying promising practices for how to retain members of the workforce.

Like Public Health AmeriCorps, the PHIGs emphasize developing pathways for future public health professionals and cultivating partnerships with community-based organizations.

Learn more about CDC’s workforce programs.

Watch Dr. Andrea Young share workforce retention strategies implemented by PHIG grantees:

Through private and public funding, CDC Foundation supported surge staffing for health departments during the pandemic. Through the COVID-19 Corps and Workforce/Vaccine Initiative, CDC Foundation added more than 4,200 people to the public health workforce in all 50 states.

Watch Dr. Judy Monroe of CDC Foundation share history behind staffing support programs:

In response to Indiana’s poor public health outcomes, Governor Eric Holcomb convened a public health commission in 2021 to review Indiana's public health system. The commission made 32 recommendations to improve public health that would address gaps in the workforce, funding, governance, infrastructure, services, and emergency preparedness.

The commission's report led to the allocation of $75 million in 2024 and $150 million in 2025 through the Health First Indiana initiative. This funding provides resources to local health departments, with a focus on flexibility and local decision-making to address community needs, especially in the state’s rural areas.

Watch Pam Pontones share Health First Indiana’s goals for the public health workforce:

PHIT4DC — Program for Public Health Informatics Technology District of Columbia — upskills public health professionals in the D.C. metro area by offering training programs in Public Health Informatics, or PHIT. This program helps address workforce shortages and aims to create a more diverse pool of public health professionals with tech skills. It offers training options from certificates to advanced degrees and connects graduates with potential employers in the D.C. region's healthcare system.

The PHIT4DC program aims to address the lack of diversity in PHIT through partnerships with local HBCUs — historically black colleges and universities — the University of the District of Columbia and Howard University.